Motorsport News Issue 233 - June 12-25, 2002

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J SCHUEY SCORES, ^ MONTOYA FUMES

Canberra V8s ● Cowin’s 314 mph at the Winternats

NEW SERIES ill FALCON XR8.

A HELL OF A ORIVE.

With a V8 punching out 220 kW, Series III XR8’s performance is seriously wicked. And, thanks to a body-kit inspired by V8 Supercars, it has a look that’s just as mean. So go on, be a devil. See your authorised Ford Dealer or call 1800 503 673. rSEF=tlES-nf1 ^ www.ford.com.au

FEEL THE POWER OF 3

motorspoit

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Issue 233

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12 - 25 June 2002

news and opinion

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38 You may take your trophy now Skaife has an average weekend and still cleans up in Canberra 49 Taking to the streets Formula Fords let loose in the national capital SO It’s Michael! Again! We wish to apologise for the brief disruption of Monaco. Normal service has now resumed

rsport speed 58 Cowin conqueror Andrew Cowin belts the national record into the trees at the Winternationals

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20 Motorcycies

I' IfKtliUnitiillwtul Formula On« SCHUEY SCORES. MONTOYA FUMES

Photos: Cover: Dirk Klynsmith Contents: Dirk Klynsmith, Marshall Cass, Marsh/BOTHWELL

68 Speedway

reguiars

62 Drag Racing 70 Histories

64 Rallying

66 NASCAR

74 National Scene

76 Marketplace I

Peril

by PHIL BRANAGAN

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I PPiRimanager'lBbels 00 ^Sponge of money THE Holden versus Ford rivalry in V8 Supercar racing spilled off the track in Canberra last week, with TWR Racing manager Jeff Grech going public with criticism of Ford's V8 program.

Speaking in The Australian newspaper last Thursday and a story headlined 'Evil empire attacks Ford 'sponges', Grech accused Ford of wasting resources and cal led the 00 Motorsport team the "greatest sponge of money" in the category. " I don't know what Ford do in regard to keeping their teams in check but whatever they're doing is not good enough," he said.

"A lot of the Ford results are Ford's own fault. If I was (Ford President) Geoff Polites, I would have some serious chats about who's getting what money and what they're doing with it.

"They've outspent Holden budget-wise probably four to one. I would hate to see the excuse book coming in from the teams."

At the track, Grech did not back away from the story; "What I said is what I said.

Craig (Lowndes) has one of the ^ quickest cars out there this ' weekend and it's great to see. "(But) we can't control what other people do. Ford themselves need to look at where they spread their money. You have to ask whether they are getting bang for their buck."

Grech said that the reporter who wrote the story, Peter Krupka, was framing a story on how TWR went about its racing program, Grech keen to dispel ideas that TWR had a limitless budget and access to Formula

4

One technology. Grech described the published story as "a bit selective, but I stand by what I said".

"There is a fallacy that we have a satellite dish, a direct link to TWR," he said. "That is not the case at all. Yesterday (Saturday) was a good example of getting on with racing and coming away with points. Lo and behold, Mark (Skaife) is leading the race .. .

"Look; we are getting darts thrown at us. We are not in the game to throw more darts than anyone else. We turn up and go racing. We have a Holden like

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You have to ask whether they are getting bang tor their buck It

-TWR’s Jeff Grech (above)

half the teams in the pit lane. The rest is up to the individuals.

"We want the racing to be close, and to have different winners. I have even suggested to Dunlop that they have different compound tyres so that, sometimes, there will be someone on the wrong tyre at the wrong time, which could

allow different winners and more overtaking.

"Don't go and can the teams who are doing a good job."

Ford Racing manager Howard Marsden was very unhappy when he saw the story and made this response; "Ford is working had to strengthen the racing program.

We started to get serious when there was two-and-a-half Commodores for each Falcon.

We have created a 50:50 battle and our investments are really going to pay off in the future.

'However, if the challenge is that the sport wished to change direction, and have us put our investment in a single two-car team, then that is what we wi l l do. But my history in the sport tells methat, within two seasons, the program will implode, down to a straight manufacturers' battle."

Marsden said that Grech's comments were "taking an offensive position outside the realms of the motor racing industry".

"Ford must protect its good name."

He would not comment on the validity of Grech's comment that Ford was outspending Holden, humorously suggesting that "I am shocked that they have so much knowledge".

"My judgement Is that it was an unsubstantiable, emotional comment.

"Ford is in motor racing to support the image of our corporation and to present a good face to our very loyal customers. We would rather continue down the path of racing, rather than public commentary."

- PHIL BRANAGAN

A CHAPTER in Australian touring car racing will close this year, with the retirement from full-time racing by Larry Perkins.

The six-time Bathurst winner will end his three-decade career at Sandown in December, when he will step down from a permanent seat with his Castrol Perkins Racing team.

However,Perkins will continue driving with the team in a limited role, testing his Commodores and racing in the two driver events at Queensland Raceway and Bathurst.

“I might do some endmance races,” Perkins said in Canberra last weekend.

“I didn’t want to drive this year.

It doesn’t really bother me whether I am driving or not driving.”

Perkins said that he was keeping an eye open for a replacement driver, with the impending announcement that Russell Ingall would leave the team at the end of the year to race for Ford -in a yet-to-bedetermined team -in 2003 and beyond. Perkins said that he would run “at least two cars” next year, for Steven Richards(who he said he wanted to have drive his cars “for the next 25 years”) and a driver to be named.

Perkins has recently tested a number of drivers for a possible endurance role, including New Zealand Formula Ford racer Fabian Coultbard, but said that the selection of an enduro driver for the 2002 long-distance events may not necessarily indicate who vrill race for him next season.

“There are a lot of guys out there who are looking for a drive,” he said. “I could easily have made a decision by now. I am talking to guys but I want to knuckle it down in the next six to eight weeks.”

There had been paddock speculation that Ingall’s decision to leave the team, and the recent arrival of new team manager Jim Vale to shoulder some responsibility of running the team, may have prompted Perkins to keep racing. But clearly, his enthusiasm for a long racing season has waned in recent years, even though his record in endurance races remains as one of the best in the sport. motorsport news

iins to retipe LP to Step down from full-time racing Perkins’s career 1971 Australian Formula Ford Driver to Europe 1972 Australian Formula 2 champion 1975 European Formula 3 champion 1979 Rothmans Formula 5000 champion Started in 11 Formula One GPs in 1976-77, for Amon, Boro, BRM, Surtees and Brabham Six-time Bathurst winner 1982, 1983, 1984 (with Peter Brock) 1993 (with Gregg Flansford) 1995, 1997 (with Russell Ingall) Two Sandown 500 wins 1984, 1992 Fourth at 1988 Le Mans 24 Flour (with TWR Jaguar) Founded Perkins Engineering in 1980

MANNIE FOLD: THE ULTIMATE TBACKSIDE FAN-BOY

12 lune 2002

NEWS Ambrose/Weel confirmed A FEW weeks ago we told you to look for Paul Weel to fill the endurance line-up at Stone Brothers Racing. Well, we hear that Weely signed a deal last week and is a certainty (there's that word again) to partner Marcos Ambrose at the Q500 and B1000. The K&J Falcon is likely to be run in both races for new drivers. Look for Weel's smiling face on Network 10's RPM program on Sunday afternoon to confirm the news. n Jason Bright copped a 25s time penalty in Race 3 at Canberra, over the incident that saw Steven Richards and him spear off at Turn 1. The penalty drops the Holden Racing Team drive down to 19th position. n Former FHolden team owner Malcolm Ramsey is, we hear, gearing up for a full-on V8 Supercar assault next year, based in Adelaide. Rumour suggests that his former open wheeler star Simon Wills might be a contender for the prime spot behind the wheel. n Tony Cochrane was re-appointed as Chairman of V8 Supercar group AVESCO at a Board meeting on Monday. Cochrane, who has held the position since the formation of AVESCO in 1997, was unanimously re-instated for a new three-year term.

"I am delighted to be given this outstanding vote of confidence by the Board," he said, "I look forward to an exciting future of growth for all the stakeholders involved in this great sport". n Bad news for the One World Sport Konica team when Rod Salmon rolled the team's Falcon late in a test session at Oran Park last week. The team is working flat-out to ready the car for this weekend's round at the same venue.

By Allan Schofield

5

Arrows Ingall: Still n< still alive Two mystery investors keep Tom's dream going TOM Walkinshaw says that he has found two investors who have taken a stake in the Arrows team - but the Scotsman is not naming names and a lot of people in Formula 1 are not sure whether there is any more money to help keep the struggling team afloat.

Craig Pollock has discounted all the stories suggesting that he is interested in buying Arrows and, given the team's problems, it is easy to see why Pollock would not want to be involved.

Buying Arrows does not make much sense because the team has debts including a large amount of debt which is disguised as "redeemable preference shares".

In addition,the team is in court on a regular basis with a string of law suits relating to the team's finances and structure.

These cases are mainly being heard "in camera" by the judges and so cannot be reported upon.

In addition to this, the status of Arrows's assets are unclear.

The team recently sold its windtunnels to another company and the main FI factory is part of the bigger TWR facility, so it is of little value to anyone else.

On top of all of this, the team's technical director Mike Goughian is not staying. He has been sent on "gardening leave" by the team because he says he wants to leave. His contract is believed to end in August. Coughlan is rumoured to be going to McLaren but we believe he has other offers, including a big one from Toyota.

The recent talk of financial trouble for Arrows and Minardi has not helped Walkinshaw's team and Tom even went as far as to say that he thinks that Bernie Ecclestone's comments on this subject in Monaco were "irresponsible".

It may not be the best way to make friends and influence people but Walkinshaw appears to be beyond caring.

- JOE SAWARD

by PHIL BRANAGAN RUSSELL Ingall is no closer to having a seat in V8 Supercar racing next season - at least

publicly.

While The Enforcer continues to play a straight bat and is not saying where - or what- he will drive in 2003, at the weekend an impeccable Ford source confirmed that Motorsport News’s report last issue was correct and that Ingall will race a Falcon for the next three seasons.

But as to which team he will drive for is still being discussed.

Ingall has an agreement with Ford itself, in the same vein as the deals that Craig Lowndes and Marcos Ambrose have with the Blue Oval but, like those two drivers, Ingall now has to have a deal settled with one of the Ford teams.

What is now clear is that he will not be replacing Ambrose at Stone Brothers Racing. The Tasmanian, Ford's only race winner in 2002, will stay with the Queensland team. Team co-owner Ross Stone would not comment on the matter last weekend, other than to say that the team was delighted with Ambrose's driving and 'fit' with the team and that he was looking foinvard continuing with him in the future.

Less clear is the future of David Besnard. While the Caltex-backed driver is in the second year of a three year deal with SBR, we believe that there is an option in Besnard's contract which would allow Stones to replace him,should another driver become available.

'Whether that driver is Ingall, and

whether the team’s sponsors would fund a likely large salary for The Enforcer, is another question.

Dick Johnson Racing remains a possibility for Ingall, despite the fact that both Steven Johnson and Paul Radisich are under contract to the Shell-backed team until the end of 2003. Radisich in particular is said to be keeping an eye open for another drive, with one Holden source suggesting that it was more likely that The Rat would drive a Holden next season than a Ford.

The other teams in the running for his services are 00 Motorsport and Briggs Motorsport. Lowndes seems certain to stay with the black and silver team, but there remains a question over the future ownership ofthe team, while the status ofthe drivers at Briggs is not pubhcly known.

It appears that there are other issues to be sorted before the absolute destination of Ingall is known. Ford is said to be in the process of assessing aU of its options for 2003, not only as far as driver selection is concerned, but with the makeup of its teams. As recently as a month ago, one Ford team was asked to prepare a budget based on expansion from a one-car team to a two-car team, only for the project to be cut short suddenly a short time later.

Clearly, there is much movement behind the scenes at Ford and, following the extraordinaiy criticism of the marque's racing efforts by TWR Racing manager Jeff Grech last week (see separate story, page 4), Henry is determined to make every possible post a winner in 2003 ... motorsport nows

NEWS

> team

DESPITE rumours to the contrary, the Minardi team is still going strong but Paul Stoddart admits that he will make a decision about the future of the team after a meeting of the Formula 1 team bosses in London on Thursday.

Stoddart has given up trying to convince the teams to sign an agreement to let him have the US$12m ($23m) of TV money which _■ wouid have gone to Prost and has simply presentadj'ival team bosses with an ultimatum: agree or we are going out of businress.

Stoddart has put forward his claims-in a letter to his rivals, showing the legal issussilnvolved which Stoddart says prove that"* the team has a right to the money. He could go to .arbitration, at the ■International Chamber of Commerce in Lausanne but that wili take two months and Stoddart does not have the budget to.continue ' 5 that long unless everyfRtitgrowed is.paid.

Jbe'ait Stoddaiitlhayeorifirnrad^i happens,!lVlin^ leai

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Holden targeting ^ord drivers for ’03?

COULD Holden be o mt to recruit at least one cs.rrrent Ford driver for 20fi3 i'?

Having lost Craig Lowndes to Ford at the stai't of the 2001 season, and with Russsall Ingall certain to be in a Ford; next year, Holden appears to be {tutting omt feelers to gain the services of drivers who currently yply their trade for the Blue OvaT. One of the men mos'S: likely to be in Holden’s sights is Paul Radisich.

The New Zealander is, currently under contract to Dick, Johnson Racing until the end off next season, but is said to l>e unhappy

at the prospect of staying with the Shell Helix-backed team for another year.

MN approached Radisich with the question in Canberra, but his response was muted; “I am under contract here (DJR) for next season,” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

There are a number of potential ■vacancies in Holden teams, the most prominent being at Holden Hacing Team and Kmart Racing 'Team, where Jason Bright and Todd Kelly are both out of contract.

TWR Racing manager Jeff Grech

said that no decision had been made regarding drivers for next season but that his first priority would be to talk to the drivers he already has at the two teams.

The other possibility could be Garry Rogers Motorsport, where both Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna are in the final year of their contracts. Both drivers are said to have a preference to stay with the team, and it is unlikely that both would leave at the same time, so there could be only one vacancy in a Valvoline Commodore.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

n Steve Waugh was not the only test cricket star seen in the paddock at Canberra. Brad, Kim and Andy Jones had the family number boosted by former one-day tyro Dean Jones, who takes quite an interest in the racing scene, we hear.

■ And the Kelly Gang had its numbers boosted as well. Todd and Rick were in their cars but the media centre was visited by Fran Kelly, ABC's chief political correspondent.

■ Ford crushed Flolden in the PR war that surrounded the visit of PM John Floward to the track. The Rt Flon was photographed with FIRT's Mark Skaife all right, but the papers the next day were festooned with Little Johnny having a laugh with Stone Brother Racing's drivers who were dressed, repsectively, in 'Ambrose for PM' and 'Besnard for PM' T-shirts.

■ The Opposition Leader Simon Crean took to the track during Friday's media ride session. The Labor leader was driven around the concrete canyon by Steven Johnson, who reported that he enjoyed the experience immensely. Also hopping aboard a Ford was Petria Thomas, the Olympic swimmer, who got to go for a blast in Cameron McLean's VIP Pet Foods Falcon.

■ James Courtney headed the timesheets all day in official testing last week for the next round of the British F3 Championship at Castle Combe circuit. James finished the test sessions 0.2s quicker than Flarri Kovalainen (Renault Dallara). The Castle Combe rounds of the Championship take place on June 23.

■ And, from the ''But has he met Daddy?'' file ... Arrows FI driver Enrique Bernoldi was wearing an "I love Jelena" T-shirt in Montreal. It seems that the Brazilian and the Aeseie Yugoslav tennis starlet are in lurve and he doesn't care who knows about it. Let's hope it works out and we see e«f Jelena at Albert Park next March. Those romantic lads at ButtonImages took the pic. Shucks.

J

The two Ed

by JOE SAWARD

Here comes the judge; “Look, Frank, I clearly saw you jump the start ...‘

cutting back

BERNIE Ecclestone sent a letter to all the FI team bosses over the weekend informing them that things are going to change soon because the Formula One group has been instructed by its owners in Germany to adopt cost-saving measures.

The result of this is going to be seen for the first time at the French GP when, we hear, that there will not be any of the integrated systems used for starting the race, detecting jumped starts and pitlane speeding.

These services are all provided

by Formula One Television but, because of the time involved in getting everything rushed from the British GP to Magny-Cours, extra costs will be incurred if all the normal systems are employed and so it has been decided to do away with them.

The company argues that up to now it has been providing all these services to the races for free and cannot now afford to do so.

This raises the question of who

should be responsible for what are, in effect, sporting issues which come under the control of the FIA, not the commerical rights holders.

The implication in all this is that, if the FIA and the teams want the

technology which has been developed by FOT, then it should either develop the systems itself (including the ring of electronic beacons around the circuits which keep track of exactly where all the cars are at any given moment) or pay the Formula One group of companies to use them.

The French GP is expected to be started with lights in the oldfashioned way, without the automatic jumped-start systems, and there are also likely to be knock-on effects in the way in which the race control operations are conducted.

Linking the TV coverage and race control functions is a logical way to operate, but the Formula One group now seems to think that someone else should pay for it!

- JOE SAWARD

THERE was talk in Montreal of a possible deal between the Eddies - Irvine and Jordan for next year, but while the stories suit both men it is hard to imagine that such a deal will actually happen.

Iivine wants to be seen as being in demand, as he is almost certainly going to be dropped by Jaguar Racing.

Jordan is trying to convince Benson & Hedges that it does not want to quit the sport and is even suggesting that the planned tobacco ban in 2006 could be stopped if FI team bosses made a stand.

Jordan’s current situation is quite precarious.

The Honda engine deal is expected to come to an end this year and Jordan needs to find a new engine supplier, which will cost money.

Deutsche Post is being pursued by teams that are performing rather better than Jordan, although the recent string of fifth places will have helped.

Benson & Hedges have made it clear that its long-term involvement in the sport is reducing, but Jordan seems to be bidding for a deal to keep them happy with a top-line British driver.

If this deal could be orchestrated, there might be a chance for Irvine but, otherwise, it is hard to see him going back to Jordan - or actually wanting to ...

Forgive me Father: Eddie Jordan seeks guidance from a higher authority before deciding whether to employ Eddie Irvine ...

The power o THERE have been a few big accidents in Formula 1 this year, but Felipe Massa's shunt at Ste Devote during the Monaco Grand Prix was one of the nastiest- with the little Brazilian suffering a brake failure as he headed into the comer and having nowhere to go except head-on into the barriers.

We understand that Massa hit the t3rre barriers at something

like 170kmh and there was no deflection of energy at all.

The impact was taken, therefore, by the tyre barrier(a series of interlocking columns of tyres designed to absorb extraordinary impacts) and by the chassis.

The systems worked perfectly and Massa’s biggest problem was the enormous deceleration involved.

However, as the nose of the

moiorsport news

dies?

NEW5

Renault cleared in post-Monaco software check RENAULT Sport has been cleared of any problems with its electronic software after the FIA sent technicians to the team’s headquarters in Enstone on the Tuesday after the Monaco GP. The visit was to compare the software program which had been registered with the FIA compared to the one which was being used in Monaco

by Jarno Trulli.

The two matched c-’-scc; exactly and so there was not a problem and so the FIA announced that Renault Sport and Jarno Trulli would be able to keep the points they scored for fourth Effort rewarded: Jarno Trulli retains his fourth place in Monaco.

The news was not a (Photo by Sutton Images) place from Monaco. big surprise, but it did the sport. raise questions about why the FIA The important question, was not able to come up with the therefore, is why the FIA was not decision on Sunday night at Monaco. able to come up with an instant response on Sunday when it seems The federation has been very the only question was whether or keen in recent years to create a not the software was the same as situation in which there is veiy had been registered with the little chance of a result being left federation earlier in the year. in any way provisional and has With computers as they are adopted the attitude that it is the referee and makes the decisions nowadays, there seems to be no reason that this could not have there are then. been done at the circuit on Sunday This is good for the sport as evening. protests, appeals and counter - JOE SAWARD appeals do nothing for the image of

T

TJ.

car and the barriers were designed to absorb an impact, the G forces involved were kept within acceptable levels.

Nevertheless, Massa’s shunt was so violent that there was a slight indent in his helmet visor where his head hit the steering wheel.

Fortunately, the impact was not hard enough to cause any injury.

12 June 2002

n Jaguar Racing has decided to join in with the British Golden Jubilee celebrations and has agreed to run the official Golden Jubilee emblenn ran its R3 racing cars for the rest of the season. The link is believed to have come about through the efforts of Stir Jackie Stewart, who has always cultivated strong links with the royal family. Jaguar Racing is the only FI team to employ a member of the royal family: Peter Phillips, the son odf the Princess Royal, works in the marketing department. n The American networks have given details of how the various motor racing events last weekend di«d in terms with ratings and there is some good news for Formula 1 which get a solid 2.0 rating and a 6 share for its tape-delayed screening, of the Monaco GP. This means that the coverage was watched by 2 percent of the overall TV audience and that it had a six percent share of* the people watching TV at that moment. The Indianapolis 500 suffered a drop of around 17 percent: in viewership with the race getting only a 4.8 rating and a 15 share. Last: year's race got a 5.8 rating. The CccaCoia 600, NASCAR's big event of te weekend, came away the winner with a 5.1 rating. The only sports event to get a better rating than that last week were the NBA play-off games on Friday and Saturday between the Lakers and the Kings, It^ is worth noting that the Brickyard 400, the NASCAR race run each year at Indianapolis registered a 6.2 rating;; last year while the Daytona 500 hit a: new record of a 10.9 rating. n South African Breweries is one of the world's most powerful brewing companies and is currently in the process of buying Miller Brewing from the Philip Morris group of companies. If the deal goes ahead SAB will become the second largest brewing company in the world. Both SAB and Miller have a history on involvement in motor racing with SAB's subsidiary Pilsner Urquell having been a recent sponsor of the Jordan Grand Prix. Miller has a lengthy history in racing in the Unitecfci States but only briefly tried FI with the now-defunct Team Lotus in the early 1990s. Since 1999 SAB has been listed on the London stock exchange and has been expanding aggressively in the international markets. n The Hungarian-born porn star Ilona Staller, better known as Cicciolina, has failed in her bid to become the mayor of the town of Monza. She received only a small percentage of the vote in Monza antf' so the city can now return to being £& rather sleepy and conservative place and not have to worry about Cicciolina's plans to turn the famous Monza park into a vast theme park.

-JOE SAWARD3

ten home of [motorsport] V8 Supercar Championship* .Rd 6

Jun 30 .. .Barbagallo ,.

Jul 28 ... .Oran Park .. ,

.Rd 7

Aug 18 .. .Winton

.Rd 8

Sep 15 .. .Old Raceway Oct 13 ... .Bathurst ... .

,Rd 9

Fogg, McIntyre to test

enduro drive

.Rd 10

Konica V8 Series* ●Rd3

Jun 16 ... .Oran Park

.Rd4

.Winton

Jul 7

Aug 4 ... -Mallala , Oct 12 Bathurst

.Rd5 .(non Cham pionship)

FIA Formula One World Championship . Rd9

Jun 23 . . . .Nurburgring J ul 7 .Silverstone

.R d 10

Jul 21 Magny Cours Jul 28 . . . .Hockenheim ,

.Rd 12

Aug 18 . . .Hungaroring

●Rd 13

Wurz

.Rdll

CART FedEx Championship* ●Rd 6 Jun 16 Portland Jun 30 Jui7

.Rd 7

Chicago .Toronto

,Rd 8 ,Rd 9

Jul 14 . . . .Cleveland

by JOE SAWARD

MotoGP Motorcycle Championship* .Rd6

Jun 16 Catalunya . .

Jun 29 . . . .Assen

.Rd7

Jul 14

Donnington .

.Rd8

Jul 21

Sachsenring

.Rd9

Tj I g 9 “ a '

SBK World Super Bike Championship* Jun 23 . . . .Misano

.Rd8

Jul 14 Jul 28

Laguna Seca Brands Hatch

.Rd 10

Sep 1

. . . .Oschersieben

.Rd 11

Nations Cup Jun 23 . . . .Winton

,Rd5

Jul 14

Qld Raceway .

.Rd6

Aug 11

. . .Wakefield Park

.Rd7

Sep 8

Sandown . . . .

.Rd8

.Rd9

World Rally Championship* .Rd 7

Jun13-16. .Acropolis Jul 11-14 . .Safari . .

.Rd 8

Aug 8-11 . .Finland .

.Rd 9

Aug 22-25 .Germany

.Rd 10

Australian Rally Championship* ,Rd3 Jun15-16 . .Queensland Jul 13-14 . .Adelaide . . ,

.Rd4

Aug 10-11 .Tasmania .

,Rd5

Sep 7-8 . . .Melbourne .

.Rd6

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home of motorsport All event dates in this calendar were correct at the time ol pnnling Please consul! any individual tracks and/or associations lor date changes Series or events telecast on Network Ten are marked with an asterisk. Check your local guides for screening details.

TEAM Kiwi Racing will stage a run-off to select an endurance co-driver for Jason Richards.

Fresh from his best finish at the Canberra 400, above, Richards confirmed that the team will test Angus Fogg and John McIntyre at Winton in the near future, with the best performer getting more testing and the co-driver's seat at the Queensland 500 and Bathurst.

"They will test at Winton, some time before Queensland, and we will get some mileage for either Angus or John, whoever wins the drive," said Richards.

Fogg has been Richards's regular co-driver to date, but has suffered somewhat in comparison with the 26-year-old from Nelson. The pair almost had a fairytale result at Bathurst last year, the TKR crew and the Bathurst TAFE Repair Team virtually rebuilding the car before the race after Fogg involved the car in a major shunt.

- PHIL BRANAGAN

TEAM Green will appeal the decision of the Indianapolis 500.

Paul Tracy finished second to Hello Castroneves in the American classic, but had taken the lead under what was deemed at the time to be yellow flag conditions. Team Boss Barry Green submitted an appeal to Indy Racing League President and CEO Tony

THE Formula 1 driver market is still fairly quiet at the moment although the McLaren test Alexander Wurz is being mentioned as a possible driver next year with the Toyota Motorsport team.

Wurz has been out of racing for two seasons after a disappointing period with Benetton. The Austrian decided to rebuild his career by acting as the McLaren test driver, hoping that he will be able to follow in the footsteps of Olivier Panis who turned his McLaren test drive into a two-year deal with British American Racing.

Nick Heidfeld has also been mentioned as a possible Toyota driver but it seems that Heidfeld is not as free as some people believed, as the Sauber team has an option on his services and thus he cannot simple move elsewhere without some kind of deal being agi’eed. Felipe Massa is expected to stay for a second season with the Swiss team.

Indy 500 app<

George just before the deadline for such a submission expired.

The appeal contends that IVacy passed Castroneves under green flag conditions.

It is now up to George to determine what actions will be taken by IRL officials over the matter. League rules state that he has jurisdiction over such appeals but it appears likely that, to show fairness, he will

allow either another official, or a panel of officials, to resolve the appeal.

George can also convene a hearing to raise the matter within 30 days of the race but, once that happens, there is no rule stipulating a time frame for resolving the appeal, so it could drag on for some time.

The last time that an Indianapolis 500 win was molorsporl news

NEWS

SIEMEf m ob

:omouter Assoc atAD

Toyota?

Manufacturers to meet over own FI series THE automobile manufacturers involved in the planned Grand Prix World Championship have invited the F1 team principals to a meeting at Silverstone on July 5.

The meeting has been called

by Fiat boss Paolo Cantarella although, ironically, Cantarella may be out of work by the time the meeting takes place because he is under pressure due to the poor performance of the Fiat group in recent months.

The meeting is clearly designed to increase pressure on Kirch, its creditor banks and the Formula One Group to find a solution to the current issue of ownership of the business as this is currently blocking up all progress to finding a deal for the future stability of Formula 1.

- JOE SAWARD

^an engin^ra cHasiiSj

cohsidfei'ing a return to j'Ehiimula S"and \vith-its o.wm chassis and E ’ enginei,rather than merely suppljnlng the 2ts litre powejr unit, CO T The German manufaeta’er was dominmrt throughout Em’ope in tlie junior single-seater category iin the 1980s,supplying its engines to the Q.

i. subject to an appeal was 21 years ago, when Bobby Unser was declared the winner five months after the race.

Unser,right, had originally ‘won’the race, but he was demoted via a penalty the following day. Second-placed Mario Andretti was named the winner,but ‘lost’ the race under appeal the following October.

- PHIL MORRIS 12 June 2002

.‘ L, Jt

Spiess and Judd tuning firms.

Any YW chassis program would put in head to head with the dominant Dallara chassis, but the economies of scale for a large manufacturer could substantially cut to cost of F3 racing.

No date for the \WF3’s debut has yet been set.

- QUENTIN SPURRING

Premier 1 still out there (somewhere) THE Premier 1 Grand Prix motor racing series has been very quiet since the announcement that it had decided to put back its launch until 2003 after the collapse of chassis-builder Reynard.

The onset of the recession had convinced many that Premier 1 was never going to become a reality but the organisers continue to insist that the series will happen - even if there is still no deal yet with any chassis-building company.

Premier 1 has just announced that it has signed up Chelsea Football Club to join Leeds United, Feyenoord, Benfica and Anderlecht as teams that will be associated with the series.

Johnny Herbert, top, allowed his name to be used as part of the Chelsea announcement but made it clear that he was by no means committed to the championship.

‘Tve been a Chelsea fan all my life,” Herbert was quoted as saying,“and this drive would be one ofthe options I’d look at for the future depending on my success in America.”

The big question is not so much the number of soccer teams that are signed up by the series(as they contribute nothing) but rather the number of television deals which can be generated. At a time when the 'TV world is in a mess and the value of TV rights are plummeting,it is hard to see how a glorified version of Formula 3000 is going to attract any attention.

-JOESAWARD 11

Mixed bag for Australians IT was a weekend of mixed results for Australian teams in the Nurburgring 24-Hour in Germany.

The team of Ross Palmer,Peter Boylan, Peter Floyd and New Zealander Kevin Bell finished in 37th outright and seventh in their class, despite having to stop for repairs to their BMW M3.

It was a steadier run for the Group A Honda Civic of Ric Shaw, Warwick Rooklyn, Kosi Kalaitzidis and Jamie Miller, which completed the i-ace in 50th outright and second in class, giving Sydney driver Miller a perfect endurance finishing record. He has now finished all five enduros he has entered, including four Bathurst starts.

The race was won by the crack Chrysler Viper GTS-R team of Germans Peter Zakowski and Robert Lechner and Portuguese exFormula One driver Pedro Lamy. . Other Aussies had mixed results in the race. The Alfa Romeo team of : John Cowley, Melinda Price, Ross Zampatti and Indonesian Maher Algadii was forced to retire after AlgafoT crashed on lap 19. Algadri was ‘ not injured in the incident, but was taken to hospital for observation, t' Former Super Touring driver Dennis Cribbin was part of a multi -national team that completed 68 laps in a BMW M3, while Llynden ^eithmuller and Mike Glynn stopped after 90 laps in a BMW 318is. |6hOSER to home,the proposed date for PROCAR’s Bathurst 24“Hdur race has been brought forward a week, i -/The event, originally pencilled in for November 23/34, will now be |rUn’on November 16/17.

The decision to shift the date was due in part to television deals, but ?^so serves to avoid a clash with the Poj^jer Tour and NSW State Series.

Alonso's grc Eyeing something longer term? Ex-Minardi dri er Fernando Alonso has his sights set on a return to a Formula One race seatfor next season. Flighly rated in certain circles, this could spell bad newsfor Eddie Ir ine or Pedro de la Rosa...

(Photos by Siilton-lmages)

White's VIP treatment MWR.COM,Ji Matthew White #7i Michael Turner <'9

TIMKEN NGK

12

KONICA Series frontrunner Matthew White is taking a new look into the next round at Oran Park this week, having landed a deal with VIP Petfoods for the remainder of the season.

“Trying to secure some funding has been our biggest downfal,” said White.

“Now that VIP have been good enough to back us, we can focus on our car, and on trying to bridge the gap to Paul Dumbrell.”

White previously ran VIP colours in the Konica support race at Bathurst last year(where he finished second after a tight battle with Wayne Wakefield), a meeting which White described as a “good initiation” for VIP to his team.

The deal has seen White’s VT Commodore repainted with a similar paint scheme to that which features on Cameron McLean’s Falcon in the V8 Supercar Championship Series, and White himself will now be getting around the paddock in a similarly patterened race suit.

Joining VIP on the car is Sidchrome, who have also signed on to back White for the remainder of the series.

“Having Sidchrome on board will help us maintain reliability, and hopefully avoid any more weekends like Phillip Island!”

- MARK GLENDENNING motorsport news

NEWS

ien machine

by JOE SAWARD

SPAIN'S Fernando Alonso tested a Jaguar-Cosworth R3 last week at Silverstone. The Renault test driver was supposed to be running with Jaguar to assess the team's two test drivers James Courtney and Andre Lotterer.

Flowever this was not a very convincing excuse, as Jaguar could easily assess the young pair alongside its current drivers Eddie Irvine and Pedro de la Rosa.

Thus, the test must be seen as way in which the Jaguar management is putting pressure on Irvine and de la Rosa to produce better results.

In any normal circumstances, a team will not lend out its test driver to run for another team and the suggestion therefore is that Renault Sport need to find a job for Alonso next year.

The implication of that is that Jenson Button will be re-signed alongside Jarno Trulli - probably for two more years.

This makes sense for Renault, which is trying to build the team up into a championship challenger, a process in which stability is very important.

Button and Trulli are very wellmatched and there is no point in rocking the boat just for the sake of it.

The problem is that when Alonso left Minardi to join Renault, he seems to have been signed on the understanding that he would be racing in 2003.

Alonso is managed by Flavio Briatore's management

company, based in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, and in all probability he has what is called a 'pay-and-play contract'. This means that the team has to provide him with a car in 2003, even if the team does not have a drive available.

In this case. Jaguar Racing is an obvious option for Alonso.

The team can hardly get any worse, particularly given the effort and investment being put in by the Ford Motor Company, and so Alonso will come away looking good.

Jaguar is also believed to be looking for at least one driver, as it is hard to imagine that Irvine and de la Rosa will both be retained.

Alonso is seen to be a rising star (although not everyone in FI agrees he is as talented as some think) and so he would be a good choice. It would be hard to imagine two Spaniards at Jaguar, and so it is probably bad news for de la Rosa.

Irvine is also not thought likely to be retained by the current team management and there will no doubt be moves to find a suitable replacement.

The team does not want to be spending huge sums of money on its drivers when the performance of the car is not where it should be so a youngster is probably the most likely outcome.

Mark Webber must be seen as a possible replacement. Fie has done a very good job with Minardi this year and with the little team not thought likely to survive for the rest of the year, he could be available.

FI gives you wings Red Bull backing to help put Americans into Formula One

DANNY Sullivan has been revealing more details of his Red Bullfunded Formula 1 Drivers Search that aims to put at least one American driver into Formula 1.

“We will pick four drivers, probably two a little bit younger and two a little bit more experienced,” Sullivan says.

“We will probably put them into anything from Formula 3, Formula Ford, Formula Nissan, Formula BMW or some other category, and not necessarily in one place. If we do Formula 3, we might put one in Formula 3 in England and one in Formula 3 in Germany.

“We are getting a lot of help from Bemie Ecclestone and FI because everybody would like to see an American in FI. It is good for the sport, and it is the World Championship, so there is no reason why a country with as many people as we have shouldn't be represented. We definitely have th-e talent.”

The support from Red Bull has been invaluable to the program and Sullivan was busy ‘networking’in Montreal to see if he can add other backers to the scheme, which is expected to be modelled on the old Elf scheme in France, which produced a string of French racing stars, notably Alain Frost. Patrick Tambay, Didier Pironi and Olivier Panis.

- JOE SAWARD

Secret of my success: Nick Fieidfeld apparently swears by it, and if Red Bull’s support for young Amercian drivers continues then many other hopefuls could find their career getting a caffinated kick-start...

(Photo by Sutton-lmages)

Caruso joins F3 MICHAEL Caruso will join the Australian Formula 3 Championship at the next round at Winton in two weeks.

The Sydney-based driver has taken delivery of an ex-Docking Dallara 01 chassis powered by a Fiat Novamotor.

"It's five months since I've driven anything, and about 15 months since I actually raced, so it's great to be back behind the wheel again," Caruso said during a test at Winton on Monday.

Caruso won the Ford Kart Stars championship in 2000 before contesting the National Formula Ford series last year in a Spectrum. His first run in an F3 car came late last year, when he sampled the 2001 Championship-winning Piccola Scuderia Corse Ferrari Dallara F398.

- MARK GLENDENNING 12 June 2002

13

Bemile has eye!

Sarah Fisher at Montreal SARAH Fisher, one of the rising stars of American

^addbck in Montreal as a ^uest of TAG Heuer.

R Rfeherrecently qualified Wlfifh-forthe Indianapolis 500. ifilsher-has been racing since she was rgracing, was infive theyears FI old tand became the youngest ever driver in the IRL in i Sep.tember 1999. She was still only 19 when she raced I in her first Indianapolis 500 ^.wlthiWalker Racing in 2000.

■; : Despite her qualifying j-berformance at Indianapolis j this year, Fisher is currently ^ibdkihg for a full-time drive in rtheUS because he r major hba'ckers withdrew from the §port due to the recession

RUMOUES in the paddock in Montreal suggested that Bemie Ecclestone may be buying up CART stock in an effort to increase the revenues of his Formula One group.

CART shares fell in value dramatically last month, with the price dipping from around US$18 ($35)to US$8, This meant that the value of the company, which has more than US$120m in cash, dipped to around US$117m, meaning that any buyer would in effect be acquiring the company for nothing.

However, this is blocked by a “poison pill” clause that states that no one can own more than 15 percent of the business without the agreement of the other shareholders.

Nevertheless, a block of 25.6 percent of the shares in the company were last week acquired by a group of related companies which appear to all be related to a Cayman Islands-based holding company. The minimum cost of this operation has been US$30m to whoever is buying into the troubled US racing business.

According to fihngs at the US Securities and Exchange Commission the purchasers are Krevlin Glenn, Krevlin Advisors, Glenhill Capital, GJK Capital Management, Glenhill Overseas Management and the Cayman Island company Glenhill Capital

Overseas Partners Ltd. They are aU related to one another and have between them bought up 3,689,579 of the 14,718,134 shares.

In the course of last year it should be noted the company bought back more than a milhon shares, spending US$15.5m. The firm is authorised to by back another 1.5m shares if it chooses to do so.

Clearly something is happening and it seems that the intention may he to take CART off the New York Stock Exchange and into private hands again.

The theory in FI circles was that,if Bemie Ecclestone buys control of CART,a deal could then be stmck with Tony George ofIndianapohs Motor Speedway and the Indy Racing League to stop the destmctive war between CART and IRL. A merger could be organised with the series being held only on ovals.

This in turn could be marketed as the World Oval Racing Championship and,if“bundled’ with Formula 1, could become an alternative series to FI to be seen on weekends when there is no Grand Prix.

TV companies could be encouraged to cover the new series as part oftheir deals with FI and almost everyone would be happy.

This would also open the way for FI to take over some of CART’s most popular events in the United

States, such as Long Beach, and might also open the way for FI racing to go back to Mexico.

-JOESAWARD

Mecachrome moving on US

FRENCH engineering company Mecachrome, which has long been associated with Renault Sport but which has also been involved with a number of other FI manufactiu’ers, is moving into the US racing scene. , Mecachrome is reported to be taking over the Infiniti engine program in the IRL. The chief engineer of the program is Bernard Dudot, the former head of Renault Sport, who now works for Nissan (which, of course, owns the Infiniti brand).

The cun-ent Infiniti engines are built by one of Tom Walkinshaw’s TWR companies, but a switch to Mecachrome makes sense, given the closer ties that are currently growing between Renault and Nissan.

Last week marked the first board meeting of Renault-Nissan BV, the 14

Room to spare: Mecachrome’s headquarters in France.

(Photo by Sutlon Images)

holding company of the FrancoJapanese automobile company, and decisions made at that meeting point towards further integration between the companies.

Further steps in the future will include common engines and even chassis factories.

In 2005, Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn will become joint chief executive of both companies.

Although it has not been obvious, there has already been a lot of work in motorsport between the two companies: Renault engineers are involved in Nissan’s Infiniti racing

program in the IRL and Nissan engineers are on secondment to the Renault FI team and have contributed heavily to the mcreasing competitiveness of that team.

There has long been talk that eventually Renault will expand its involvement in FI to allow Nissan to use the Renault-developed technology to improve its brand image. That would be logical if the cun'ent proposals for the top teams to share chassis technology are agreed.

Nissan has considered entering FI io the past and would probably still like to do so as it struggles to compete against Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.

There was talk last year that Mecachrome was involved with Toyota’s CART engine program, so a move to IRL is no big sm'prise. motorspori news

NEWS

S for CART ^7 t

k'^'* Ek:/ Girl power: Bobby Rahal believes Patrick can make it to the top.

Danica gets help for GUM future

Star spangled Bernles: He may be nearing retirement, but the aspira tions of F1 guru Bernie Ecclestone knows no bounds. He now has his sights on the US with his new pal, IRL chief Tony George, but faces (Photo by Sutton Images) opposition from the CART owners.

TEAM Rahal will field a Swift 014/a/Toyota for female rising star Danica Patrick in next year’s Toyota Atlantic series.

The announcement, made by Bobby Rahal at Laguna Seca last weekend, represents a huge step forward for the highly-rated Patrick, who will also run three rounds of the Barber Dodge series this year under the Rahal umbrella in preparation for her 2003 campaign.

“Danica’s racing credentials are outstanding,” said Rahal at the announcement. “This lady has the talent to get to Champ Car

racing...and she has the determination and abilities to race in CART for many years.

“We need to ensure that she is successful for the long run, so we don’t want to rush her. We want to make sure that she is prepared for each next step. The worst thing that can happen for a young driver is to try to do things too soon.”

Patrick spent three seasons in England racing in Formula Ford and Formula Vauxhall, and finished runner-up in the 2000 Formula Ford Festival behind Anthony Davidson.

- MARK GLENDINNING

Castroneves still has eyes for FI

CO

O x; 0.

12 June 2002

INDIANAPOLIS 500 winner Hello Castroneves still wants to get his chance in Formula 1, but says that, unless he gets offered a good car, he is not going to leave the United States.

"I am from Brazil, where FI is a big thing," said the double Indy 500 winner.

"I am ready to switch series on the condition I am provided a race-winning car.

Castroneves is 27 and the current trend in FI is for drivers to be in their early 20s, which means that the chances of the Brazilian getting an offer from a big team are, at best, limited. t.^There are some success stories of

drivers transferring from the American racing scene to Formula 1, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

Jacques Villeneuve did it and went on to win the World Championship with Williams, while Juan Pabio Montoya was 'parked' in CART for a couple of years when Williams had more drivers than it knew what to do with.

Alex Zanardi's return to FI from America was a complete disaster and back in the early 1990s Michael Andretti had a miserable time with McLaren.

Thus it is fair to say that the odds are stacked against CastroneVes being offered a top-line drive in FI ... but you never know.

15

Sullivan storms Cardiff Aussmgs dominate British Speedway Grand Rrijc AUSTRALIAN Ryan Sullivan has won his first World Speedway Grand Prix, taking victory in a night of Australian dominance in the British Speedway Grand Prix at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Sullivan, 27, from Melbourne, was the form rider in Cardiff, taking the final from the outside starting lane and leading home fellow countryman Todd Wiltshire for an Australian 1-2.

Sullivan’s main rival and reigning World Champ Tony Rickardsson from Sweden was eliminated by the Aussie pair in the second semi-final.

The win means Sullivan takes joint leadership in the World Speedway Championship with both he and Rickardsson now tied on 58 points after three rounds.

Sullivan and Wiltshire were joined in the final by fellow Aussie Leigh Adams and Swede Michael Karlsson but it was very nearly an Aussie shut-out, with Jason Crump just missing the grand final.

Karlsson finished third in the

'1-'

f Aussie, Aussie, Aussie: Ryan Sullivan, left outside and above centre, takes the lead in the final of the British GP, his first win.

(Photos by Terry Dale)

final just ahead of Adams, breaking what could have been an Australian trifecta.

“It is a dream come true, I can’t tell you how much it means to win your first Grand Prix and to lead an Australian 1-2,” said Sullivan.

“It was amazing there were so many Australian flags in the crowd and it seemed like the crowd was right behind me all night,” he added.

China gets MotoGP (CHINA to host a round of the FIAis World Motor Cycle i Championships in 2004.

The news was

il / Sc'

“I just hope we can repeat this performance at the Australian Grand Prix in Sydney in October.”

The result means that Australians hold four of the top six places in the World Speedway Championship.

Behind joint leader Sullivan, Jason Crump is equal third with Pole Tomasz Gollab while Leigh Adams is fifth and Todd Wiltshire sixth.

FIM President Francesco Zerbi, who gave no details of a venue but he did say (announced at Mugello by

that the Chinese were also negotiating for an FI race.

The FIM will run three races at the event: for the MotoGP class, the 250cc machines and the 125cc.

- JOE SAWARD

Ford unveils sponge!

World Exclusive: It's HRT red' and it has its own icing!

AND this,from our'How do you get icing out of a beard' files.

John Bowe celebrated his 150th start in V8 Supercars/ Touring cars last weekend in style in Canberra last weekend by impaling a perfectly good cake with a sharp object.

Present to help Jelly Bean with the knifework were former team boss Dick Johnson and current team boss Brad Jones,the two no doubt sharing a slice or two with their teams ...

16

The Australians will head to the fourth Grand Prix of the 10 round championship in Slovenia in a fortnight with a renewed vigour after their success in Cardiff.

The World Speedway Championship is set to culminate in Sydney’s Stadium Australia Olympic arena on October 26th, the first time Australian will host a round of the World Speedway Championship.

Coming soon; the Bernieography BERNIE Ecclestone likes to cultivate a aura of mystery and so has always shied away from publicity - at least until recently.

Now Bernie seems to be in magazines and newspapers all the time and we hear that he has recently agreed a deal for a biography to be written about his colourful life. A similar project a few years ago was blocked after Ecclestone read the manuscript of a previous author.

Bernie's new chosen chronicler is Susan Watkins, who has previously written successful historical biographies on Queen Elizabeth I, Jane Austen and Mary Queen of Scots for the Thames and Hudson publishing company.

Watkins is a friend of Ecclestone's, thanks to his relationship with her husband Professor Sid Watkins, the man behind Formula 1's

Jt

safety campaign in recent years and FI's doctor.

- JOE SAWARD noiorsport om

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NEWS '4

Carrera Cup

Davo’s Porsche win

British Formula 3

JC extends lead

JAMES Courtney dominated the second race in the Avon Tyres British F3 Championship round at Silverstone last Monday - after being taken out in the previous day’s first race.

He blasted away into an early lead and was never threatened as he set consistent, fast lap times to build up a commanding seven second lead.

Into second came Fabio Carbone to back up a similar finish in the opening race of the weekend, while a four-car pack ran in close formation for third place, Mark Taylor holding on to take the place from Richard Antinucci, Bruce Jouanny and Robbie Kerr.

“Yesterday should have been like tills,” said Courtney on the top step of the podium. “I had a mega start and just pulled away.”

The outcome of the first race had been decided as Kerr came under

pressure from Courtney and the two ran side-by-side into Bridge Corner. Contact between the two cars sent Courtney into the pits with damage to his front wing while Kerr raced on to score what appeared to be a commanding win.

However, he was later excluded for his part in the incident, handing victory to Mark Taylor, who had crossed the line in second, despite a brief off.

“He kept squeezing me,” said a disappointed Courtney of the dramatic, but typical F3 incident.

Brazilian Fabio Carbone took his best result to date in British F3 with second. Third and fourth were Promatecme International Motorsport team-mates Matt Gilmore and Bruce Jouanny.

Points: Courtney 156; Jouanny 103; Keohanne 101; Kerr 92; Taylor 86; Kovalainen 61

Wakefield Park GOULBURM

The All Race Day & Car Show Sunday 30 June 2002 If you have a British made racing car then enter this unique event as there is unlimited categories. * A Group N / All British vs The Rest of the World Event Owners of any British made cars can enter in the car show Entries close Monday 24th June Ph Wakefield Park 02 46 222 811 or Race Secretary 02 4647 2825 Spectator Entry: $15 kids under 14 free with adult 12 June 2002

ALEX Davison made the most of a front-row starting position to win the latest round of the Porsche Carrera Cup series at the Sachsenring in eastern Germany.

In dry, but slippery conditions, the Melburnian took advantage of an error by polesitter Frank Stippler on the opening lap to slot the Team Hewlett Packard Porsche 911 GTS into the lead and never looked back.

“I was disappointed after the first two rounds this year, but I wasn’t overly worried, because we’ve always been competitiye,” Davison said.

“We’ve been right on the pace all year, it was just a matter of putting all the pieces together.”

Davison withstood race-long pressure from Marc Lieb, who also passed Stippler on the opening lap.

w

ell, I had my first taste of the Jaguar R3 F1 car at Silverstone... and what a taste that was.

I took the car out for my first run, then on my third iap coming towards Bridge corner at about 200kmh, the rear wing snapped clean off. Boy, did that concentrate my mind for a while!!

After spending a few hours investigating the cause and fixing the car, the engineers finaiiy sent me out. And after five iaps it started raining. JeeeeezM So that was the sum total of my day’s testing. The team were pieased with the feedback I gave them and have promised me another run in the car soon, to make up for the bad day i had.

Staying at Silverstone forpole the F3 races, I qualified on for one (making 10 poles from 12 sessions) and second for the other.

First race and I led off the line, only for Robbie Kerr to get underneath me a few corners later. I wasn’t concerned at all and bided my time to re-take the lead.

When I did so on the fourth lap, approaching Bridge corner (what is it with that corner??), Kerr decided to block me by basically driving into the side of my car. That put me out with some damage to the car but the officials took a dim view of his actions and threw him out of the results.

Still doesn’t make up for the 20 points I would have received, though.

to greet the chequered flag with a 0.4s gap back to second place.

The win vaults Davison into fifth place in the points tally,just nine points shy of Championship leader and team-mate Pierre Kaffer.

Davison will next take to the track for round five of the Porsche Michelin Supercup, a support event for the European FI GP at the Nurburgring on June 23, ahead of the next Carrera Cup round at Norisring a week later.

BROTHER WiU Davison was forced to settle for eighth in the latest round of the British FRenault series at Silverstone.

Fortec Motorsport dominated proceedings, with Danny Watts and Jamie Green notching up a one-two finish ahead of championship leader Mark McLoughlin.

.A.'^

tr-.

//

JAMES with JAMES COURTNEY

The second race was a bit of a stroll in the park, to be truthful.

Starting from grid two, I took the lead into the first corner and won the race by an easy seven second margin. I got the fastest laps for both races, keeping my 100 percent record intact and I now have have a very healthy championship lead.

Things are looking really good for me and Alan (Gow) has received a few initial inquiries from some F1 teams, so I suppose I’m the flavour of the month at the moment. But I know how fickle they can be, so I’m just putting my head down and concentrating on the championship.

And finally,isaupbitand of arunning plug. My website at; www.james-courtney.com Please visit sometime. It’s only in its early stages and will greatly improve as time goes on ... a bit like my season has been, actually.,.

19

Italian MotoGP LLL

IT may have taken him three years. but Valentino Rossi finally added a home MotoGP win to those scored on 125s and 250s at Mugello. :^)(5li!tion cThe Doctor took his fourth win in five races after a concerted fight against the Yamaha of Max Biaggi. After last two years." snatching pole position away But the signs are that the from Biaggi's team-mate Yamahas, in particular, are Carlos Checa with what he getting closer. Aided by new called "the best qualifying lap crankcases and a revised of my career", Rossi sent the chassis, Biaggi and Checa 65,000 locals home with tears showed genuine speed in Italy, in their eyes after stalking and the team has promised Biaggi for a dozen laps until he more. took the lead. Fie pulled out a "The new chassis worked three second lead by the end, well," said Max, "and we can with Biaggi second and Torhu stil l improve a lot as we now Ukawa third. know what we have to do to With Checa taking a close get closer to Rossi who is stil l fourth, Alex Barros and Loris ahead of us."

Capirossi took the honours in It was another dark day for the 'two-stroke class' with fifth the Suzuki team. After running and sixth respectively. eighth early, Kenny Roberts Despite being forced to race crashed out after eight laps his spare bike after a fall in the while team-mate Sete warm-up, Rossi was pleased Gibernau ran off the track after the race; while defending 14th place "It was a very good race for from Garry McCoy's me," he grinned, "and I'm replacement, Jean Michel happy to have won in front of Bayle. the Italian fans. It was a victory Points: Rossi 120, Ukawa 77, Capirossi that I'd hoped for as I hadn't 55, Abe 53, Biaggi 43, Checa and been able to achieve it for the Barros 40, Daijiro Kato (Honda) 39.

20

APRILIA and Spiderman ruled the roost in the 250 GP, with Marco Melandri ending Fonsi Nieto's streak at two in front of his home fans.

Wearing a one-off set of 'Spiderman' leathers, left, Melandri beat former 125 champ Roberto Locatelli by a quarter-second, with Nieto third. Toni Eiias was fourth from Randy De Puniet and Franco Battaini, who had a big off in qualifying. Aprilias finished in the first six second positions in the race, a record for the marque.

Aussie Casey Stoner, who was riding with a broken wrist, was forced to withdraw before qualifying after two practice crashes.

Points: Nieto 85, Meiandri 70, Roberto Rolfo (Honda)60, Locatelii 55, De Puniet 53.

MANUEL Poggiali (Gilera) won a classic 125cc battle which, at one stage of the race, saw 18 riders covered by four seconds.

Poggiali just held out Youichi Ui (Derbi), Pablo Nieto (cousin of Fonsi, Aprilia) and Daniel Pedrosa's Flonda.

Poggiali leads the series.

Points: Poggiali 86, Arnaud Vincent (Aprilia) 85, Lucio Cecchinello (Aprilia) 67, Pedrosa 66, Steve Jenkner (Aprilia) 43.

Baylls

DUCATI’S Troy Bayliss has taken his win count to 11 with two emphatic mns at the Eurospeedway at Lausitzring in Germany.

After shadowing Honda rival Colin Edwards early in the first 24-lap race, the Taree rider pulled away to yet another win, which he repeated in Race 2.

In front of 78,000 enthusiastic German fans, Edwards led the race from the start, setting new lap records on laps two, three and four before being joined at the front, and eventually passed, by Bayliss.

“I think that was the hardest race of my life,” said Bayliss(who also took out the Superpole) after the first race.

“1 made a good start but Colin squeezed me out into turn one and then set a really hot pace in the opening laps and I started to get worried.

“There was absolutely no room for error out there at all, for sure we both made some tiny mistakes but yeah, that was a hard race.

“I always train hard in the winter, 1 know that aU the riders do something to keep themselves in good condition but for me it’s what we train for.”

Bayliss’s team-mate Ruben Xaus took third place in both races, while Ben Bostrom swapped fourth and fifth positions with Aprilia’s Noriyuki Haga.

Hi® H'

THIS is the final prototype version of Ducati’s new MotoGP contender,the ‘Desmosedici’.

The bike, named after its 16valve four-cylinder engine, was shown to the world’s press at Mugello late last month. Its Vfour 990cc engine is claimed to make in excess of 220bhp at 16,000 rpm and weigh-in right on the MotoGP minimum of 145kg.

Already, Ducati engineers are working on an all-new engine, which is said to rev to 18,000rpm, for even more power.

Still no word on who will race the machine, which is expected to undergo 40 days and 10,000km of testing on 10 different tracks before its debut next season.

Engineers are planning to add another 40 hours of wind-tunnel testing to the 80 conducted so far. molorsport nsws

M

:s makes it 11

BIKE NEWS The Coppers bust The Doctor VALENTINO Rossi's fans took their hero worship theatrics to new heights on home turf. After The Doctor's fourth win in five races, he was stopped by fans dressed as Italian traffic cops and 'booked' for speeding. Rossi managed to escape the law after producing some paperwork and a fistful of Euros from somewhere, and continued on his victory lap... n The reason for the police's excitement was the top speeds registered during qualifying. Along with team-mate Tohru Ukawa, Rossi was timed at more than 324kmh during: qualifying, over 200mph in the old measurement. The other bike to break 200 was the increasingly competitwe Aprilia Cube of Regis Laconic n Ga.my McCoy is planning to be back in the saddle at the British Grand Prixon July 14. The Red Bull Yamaha rider had an operation to repair bone spurs in his leg on May 21. Jean-Michel Bayle will continue ride in his place in the next two races at Catalunya and Assen.

I’ll be there in a minute, Colin: Bayliss follows Edwards early in Race 1 before taking a double win in Germany.

M Micky Hayden has been beaten in the AMA Superbike Championship I EricBostrom led from lights to flag at Pikes Peak, beating Suzuki's Aaron Yates by 15s.

Hayden fell in the hot conditions, leaving Jamie Hacking to take fourth from Mat Mladin. Hayden is still well ahead in the series, leading Bostrom 253-2111.

When Suzuki smiles at me, I go for Ryo

SUZUKI will run a third entry in three MotoGP races for Akira Ryo. Ryo, who finished second in the season opener in Suzuka, will ride alongside Kenny Roberts and Sete Gibernau in an effort to regain momentum for the flagging team.

Ryo, right, has been unbeatable in the All Japan series on his works Suzuki four stroke, which is ineligible to score points in a special prototype class run alongside production-based bikes.

Like Roberts and Gibernau, Ryo will use Michelin t3rres in the MotoGP series but continue to race(and win?)on Dunlop at home.

12

le 2002

CART/IRL

da Matta dominates

by PHIL MORRIS CRISTIANO da Matta turned the Shell 300 portion of the Grand Prix of Monterey at Laguna Seca into a one-man show last weekend,taking an emphatic 19s victory over team-mate Christian Fittipaldi.

Starting from pole, da Matta rocketed away at the start and never looked back, leading 82 of the 87 laps around the 2.238 mile circuit.

Kenny Brack finished third after a late fuel stop by Fittipaldi slotted the Lilly Lola/Toyota into second. It was a red-letter day for Toyota, who achieved their firstever podium sweep.

The win elevated the 28-year-old to the top of the points table, leaving the Brazilian full of praise for his car and team.

“That was the best car I've ever had for a race and it was pretty much a perfect weekend,” he enthused.

“Motor racing is a team sport and we’ve got a great chassis, engine, good setups, great pitstops, and I am doing OK too.”

Indeed, the only downer for da Matta was a US$10,000 fine for dumping oil all over the circuit

feoie-!®"

Da Man: da Matta was in his own ieague for the whoie weekend at (P^^otDS courtesy oJ Toyota Motorsport) Laguna Seca. after setting his pole lap during

quahfying.

Bruno Junqueira finished fourth, nudging out Patrick Carpentier’s Player’s Reynard/Pord, with Kivfi Scott Dixon notching his second top-six finish in two starts for Target/Ganassi Racing.

Points: Cristiano da Matta 61, Michel Jourdain Jr 46, Christian Fittipaldi 43, Bruno Junqueira 38, Dario Franchitti 35, Kenny Brack 33.

THE previous weekend,Tracy made up for his second place at the Indy 500 - kind of- when the Canadian took a convincing win at Milwaukee’s famed mile.

The Team Green driver took his first win for almost two years when he held off a late surge by poleman Adrian Fernandez, followed by Max Papis, Christian Fittipaldi and Michel Jourdain Jr.

Tracy, who qualified second, took the lead from the start and ran with the leaders through the stops, and was hunting down the gambling-on-fuel Kenny Brack when the Swe-de was forced to pit with 20 of the 200 laps remaining.

Just after Brack’s stop, he got the yellow he was hoping for when new team-mate Scott Dixon spun in Turn 3.

Tracy pitted, won the restart and held on to win.

Closer than Close!

Hornish Jr wsseliminated along I withuEddie Chiesvec Jr when the ^ cars touched;ainid hit the wall on lap 127 in whafwas the only major incident: at the race. : NeitKerdlriveir was hurt. ^ - PHIL MORRIS !

l ARjEa"50:winl.ess IRiritarts7~ ‘ Racrngiuntderlights, Wardi— .-:{Ganassi).. 1 haven't vvofi in I D- ~ finally------ who was named Rookie of the yearsSiFice'Uleft.raotQcrGss. Fifty-one-eareer starts, I didn't yende9fwhen he claimed a— 'fear-ayhe J.997.indy 500,1^‘ kno-w^Lwas here for all thos'e. n bfiKrehtaking victory at Texas' orfryTo.ne oflfie 200 laps around .Motor Speedway last ^1.5 mite ovaFhufit was the.qo.e,— This erases,it all." ^ weekend.

V ^ _that count<^. In the processrh.&- ■v_^Wafd,yh.ad]^.e draft._aro.und Ward edged-AI Unser Jf hy a beeame theTirstperson to .win ’im^.a^d he^carhe around me, ^mere 0:.014'1'S-for the closest. , anTRL race by lea^ng only the - .ej^iirred Unser. : finish in’ IRL history. Airton Darb' ' final lap.

"J oaughave fried-some bad ■ rounded out the podium, and in v. \"That was great," Ward said. stufFM%ie^ack-straightaway, ' keeping with proceedings "I have to thank LittleAl for - — but it ain^^^^th it. .Wejus.t racing there at the-end. came up shOFU' : crossiiigjhe line just 0.0595 behind the winner.

-have-to thank (owner)_Chip-Reigning

Points: Helio Cas^neves 227, Gil de Ferran.183, Sam. Hsmish Jr 171, Felipe Giaffone 170. J^'Ward 147, Al Unser Jr 136.

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OPINION

eclaring Waugh really enjoyed my weekend in Canberra with Brad Jones’ Ozemail team. I do keep an eye on motorsport in general and have had a couple of good chats with Mark Webber both here and overseas - and it’s always good to see up-close how professional sportsmen operate in their own arenas.

I think we probably appreciate them more so than the average person - we realise what gofes into it and the skill level.

What struck me straight away was how mentally sharp racing drivers have to be. If you make one error by a couple of inches you can be in a concrete wall, so I really appreciated that. And the physical element as well because you’re really thrown around in the car.

I’ve watched the V8s on TV and thought,‘Yeah, they’re skillful these guys and it’s a good sport’, but you don’t realise just how skillful and courageous they are until you hop into that seat. For me, it’s definitely gone up a level in that respect.

The few laps I had in the Ozemail Falcon alongside Brad were great.

I think I said at the time it was exhilarating and terrifying and I’m going to stick by those two words.

And trust - you’ve got to have an enormous amount of trust when you are in the passenger seat.

The first lap, I was nervous. I was a bit shocked by the speed and how rough it is in there and how much work the driver does with the wheel. And the footwork. It was pretty impressive stuff.

The second lap I started to relax and was taking it in. By the third lap I was really enjoying it.

So it was a mixture of emotions, but a really good experience.

"People are starting to ask me what my future is once I rr finish playing cricket... Maybe it is motor racing.

Someone metell if I you. ever I’ve wanted toasked race -1 got a lot of work to do if that’s the standard I’ve got to get up to!

I think it’s something you’ve got to take up when you’re young. It’s so skillful. Physically, you’ve got to be fit, and mentally you can’t afford to make mistakes. It’s not something you’d take on lightly and I’d have to do a lot of work at this stage...

The concentration level is interesting. It’s a little bit different from cricket.

We concentrate for seconds at a time - as the bowler comes in you’re aware that you’ve got to be semi-ready and, just as he’s about

Motor Mouth with Steve Waugh

to deliver, you switch on, play the shot, then switch off. So, if you play the whole day, you’re really only concentrating full-on for about half an hour.

But racing drivers are concentrating every second. So theirs is more constant, whereas ours is more intermittent.

And other factors come into it. In cricket, if you drift away and think about the wrong thing in between balls you can be in the wrong zone, so we have the problem where you’ve got to switch on and switch off; in racing you’re really switched on the whole time.

There’s also a team thing, a leadership thing in both sports.

You’ve got the pit crew and the team leaders, so you’ve got to co ordinate that and work together.

I’m sure that whoever’s leading the championship, Mark Skaife in this case, has got a great crew behind him and they all work together and they’ve got a plan, a vision. Like an^hing, you’ve got to go towards the same goal.

People are, understandably, starting to ask me what my own future is once I finish playing cricket at top level.

The truthful answer is that I don’t know - I’m not sure. There are plenty of options around. I want a challenge.

I don’t know what it’s going to be, but I don’t want to sit around and wait for something to come to me. I want to get out there and have a go at something.

It might be away from the sportI don’t know. I think when you play at the top level for so long you want a challenge and you want something to stimulate you, so I’ll get out there and try and find it.

Maybe it is motor racing, but I don’t think Brad should be looking over his shoulder at me - I’m sure there’s plenty of rookies who think they are ready to take his spot, and I’m not one of themi 25

^ lesson in reading I

am not a fan of soccer. I have no interest in watching 22 men running around a field, kicking a bit of plastic but,for the next few weeks, one cannot avoid soccer.

Even in the United States of America (where football means a completely different game) they

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28

'

are watching the World Cup on TV. But, I am willing to compromise because soccer is helping my son to improve his reading, his writing and his numerical skills, William Saward is passionate about collecting World Cup stickers. At every opportunity, he begs his parents for a few coins so that he

can nip down to the local shop and buy another two or three packets.

These cost around two Aussie dollars a packet.

He bought a special sticker book that he is slowly filling up. He loves that book so much that he takes it bed with him, just as he did a few years ago when he had a sailor's

hat which could not be prized from his head. When kids have a passion for something, it is a strong passion.

We were going through the sticker book the other day and I realised that there are a total of 600 stickers that have to be purchased. There are five in a

FORMULA ONE/WORLD CUP

, writings arithmetic (und marketing) packet and there is no control on what you are going to get. You may get five stickers that you already have. There is (of course) a market in stickers at the local school, where you can swap obscure Senegalese soccer stars for unheard of players from Japan and Croatia.

In order to fill the book, I concluded it would take the purchase of something like 200 packets of stickers. And that means $400.

But the way I look at it, it is money well spent because by the end of it all, my son will have made huge progress in reading and numbers - and he will have enjoyed doing it.

As we were going through the book, I suddenly had a flashback to 1970 when I was eight and the World Cup took place in Mexico City. I had a similar sticker book and I was just as passionate about it as my son is today. I cannot remember much about it now but I remember that I was very keen to fill it with the likes of Pele, Bobby Moore and the Charlton Brothers ...

At a later moment, I found myself wondering how many fathers across the world are like me and are willing to spend the kind or money necessary to fill a book full of stickers. If there are

\

No team orders here; Michael Schumacher defends the ball fromformer World Rally champion Carlos Sainz, left, in a charily soccer match in Monte Carlo. When you are eight you will sleep with anything, as Ensign William Saward, above, demonstrates by snoring while wearing his beloved sailor's cap.

0

(Photos by Mark Thompson/AIIsjtori and Saward Photographic)

VZTTT...

only a million in the whole world, those sticker books are still going to generate three or four hundred million dollars. And in all probability there are probably 10 million kids out there collecting like crazy.

Maybe even 20 million.

It is a licence to print moriey.

W

hen I stumble across things like this, I immediately relate them back to the sport I know best and ask the question; Why are the Formula 1 people not getting together and doing a sticker book deal every year?

You have only 22 active drivers but if you take the whole history of Formula 1 there have been about 600 FI drivers. But you could also have the cars from each year, the

A little bit of thought and a single piece of paper with 12 signatures on it, could make the difference between the life and death of severaf teams in FI n

%'l

teams all have factories, managers, engineers and logos. Race tracks have aerial photographs and posters.

It is just a question of a little imagination.

Let us do some very basic maths.

It is said that a Grand Prix attracts a viewership of 300 million people. The known demographics of the sport are that there is a predominantly male audience (65 percent), mainly in the 30-50 age range and mainly from the most affluent sector of society (AB)which means that they have had plenty of energy to breed and plenty of cash to spoil their kids.

Being absurdly conservative, let us assume that one percent of the viewers either have (or are) a kid of a sticker-buying age (which is between eight and 12). That means that there is a (renewable) market of 3 million people around the world willing to spend, let us say, $200 (which is only half the full amount necessary) to keep the kids happy. Some will spend more.

some will spend less but let us use that as an average figure.

That makes ... urn ... $600m.

Knock off some costs ($50m should cover it as books and stickers all have multiple languages and so the major cost would be advertising - and that would be largely word of mouth. Add to that some for the distribution and for the retailers) and let us then be generous and give SLEC and each of the 11 teams equal shares (a radical concept I know). That means S550m divided by 12.

Or to put it another way: $45,333,333 per team.

That is about the same kind of money as the bigger team are making from TV revenues.

And all for the sake of a simple sticker book...

And you know what the best things is about a sticker book? It is not just making money, it is also educating a completely new generation of race fans. They are learning about FI by osmosis when they try to swap a Rubens Barrichello sticker for a Jochen Rindt or a Jim Clark. Maybe in a few years they will become fans and start to buy tickets and merchandise.

Education, promotion, fun and profit?

Where's the catch?

The problem is that the teams will not agree to do any central merchandising because, some of them say, it is bad for their image to be associated with other less successful teams. And some drivers have lawyers who say that they own the Intellectual Property Rights to themselves and therefore should be getting a slice of the money and so on and so forth.

This is all garbage. Only one man (Michael Schumacher) has the clout to demand intellectual property right payments before he signs a contract. And even he has been told recently by Ferrari that there are restrictions on what he can market.

A little bit of thought and a single piece of paper with 12 signatures on it, could make the difference between the life and death of several teams in FI. Writing a sticker book is a whole lot easier than rewriting the rule book.

And William Saward would care more about the result...

21

Five Minutes With

Jasm Ricim’ils

Team Kiwi Racing haiits best nesutts in Canberra, Ricbarbs taking thirb in tbe reverse grid race and lOtb in the 50-iapger.

Tbe baggy NZer sgeke to PHiL BRANAGAN MOTORSPORT NEWS: Canberra was a good weekend for you.

JASON RICHARDS:It was very good. We kind of had a good set-up on the car but we still struggled in qualifying, unfortunately. That is just the way it goes.

When you are starting from 29th, it is very difficult around this place to go anywhere. At the end of the day, we made a good start and got a good position for the reverse grid race. To get a third, which is our best result so far, was great.

In the last race, I think that we showed that we had good car speed. That was the race of the weekend,for me anyway. We got the result we deserved.

MN:You lost the chance of a good grid spot in qualifying.

JR: Yes. We were on a lap which had a lot of potential but I got a bit gi’eedy! I made a cock-up of one of the chicanes when I missed the braking point by a few metres.

And from there in qualifying ... we broke gear levers, got held up, had all sorts of problems. It was all over in 25 minutes; it does not give you long.

MN:Is it a hard ask running an older car against all these newer ones?

JR: It is. This is an old Perkins car, chassis 035, which was built in 1998. It’s the oldest car in the field!

But it is performing OK. The running gear is a big part of it but, obviously, it is a bit soft. Everyone has made some big gains in car stiffness and that is bound to effect us, especially in qualifying when the grip level is so high.

MN: What about the change in tyres this year? How has that effected you, compared with the big teams?

JR: We run on a very small staffone full-time employee at Stinshine in Melbourne. When you compare that with HRT, which might have 50-something employees, we have to say that what we are doing is really good.

We do have a few guys fly over from New Zealand for each race

meeting, but they are not there in the workshop all the time, so we rely on Perkins Engineering quite heavily.

So when it comes to testing and developing, we are way behind the eight-ball, compared to the other teams.

MN:So how many testing days will that mean for this year?

JR: Ummm. We did ONE before the Grand Prix!

To be honest, it’s almost impossible to go testing. We are flat-out preparing the car for each race meeting; one guy, running around with his head cut-off, preparing the car! We can’t really go testing on our budget. This is our second year and we had to invest quite heavily in tools and equipment, but most of the other teams have been around for many years and have been able to invest in those things over a number of years. The level of the competition

"When it comes to testing and deveioping, we are way behind the eight-baii, compared to the other teams - Richards

does not allow you to do that these days.

MN:So at what stage is the newer car?

JR: It is completely stripped at the moment. It will be built back up and updated and we are hoping to use it at the Queensland 500.

MN:How is the support from back home? StiO going strong?

JR: Very strong. We are in the middle of a two and a half month tour of small towns, meeting the public in places with around 10,000 people or so. A lot of farmers, obviously, down south, which has helped us to acclimatise for Canberra!

It’s been great. People come out and pass on their best wishes for us and it is interesting to see what small town NZ thinks of Team

Kiwi.

MN:Especially in light of the fact that we can thrash you in cricket and Union.

JR: Don’t go saying that too loud! I believe that the (Canterbury) Crusaders may have won something just recently...

MN:Hang on! Still enjoying it?

JR: Absolutely. Going racing this year has been easier but the level of competition has gone up at the same time. We are still running a heavier engine, with some older running gear, but we ran the lightweight engine at Adelaide, Phillip Island and Eastern Creek, and the performances were better.

Horsepower does not matter so much at a track like this, but it will at some of the other tracks, so watch out when we get to them.

Weather just like home; Richards shone in the ACT, the TKR Commodore showing reai race speed on the tight streets.

And he has such nice iooking friends, too ...

(Photos by James Smith and Dirk Klynsmith)

28

molorsgort news

t

INTERVIEW

Lowndes/Broek

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Did I tell)

PETER BROCK: Where do we start? Craig Lowndes ... year 2002 ... going into 2003. Where are we at?

CRAIG LOWNDES: Actually, we’re going alright.

PB:‘We’the team?

CL: We the team, yeah.

We had good test on Monday, doing some suspension stuff, and we had a really good run.

It was our third day, but probably our second really serious test day. So we’re pretty happy.

2003 will be different - new car, like yourself.

PB: That’s right. The eternal optimist - you’ve always got to look to next year, right?

CL: Yeah.

PB: If things aren’t going right now...

CL: You look forward.

PB: Well, you say, “next time it will be better!”

CL: Exactly! (laughter) moiorsDon news

SPECIAL FEATURE .1

Who tfetter to interview ‘The New Brock!than the reai Brock? When the tvyo sat down for a cup oftea ati iast weekend's Stegbar Canberra 400, MN eavesdropped mmm

i

a

^ou the one about PB:But nothing changes like that, does it?

CL: No,it doesn’t, but we’re pretty happy with where we are at this point. We’d like to be winning races, though.

PB:When you were doing F3000 races in Europe,if I had said the same thing to you about two-thirds of the way through the year, you probably would have said the same thing:“Things are getting better’.

12 lune 2002

CL: Well, they did get better! I actually got an engineer, I got a couple of mechanics...

PB:And you spoke the lingo and everything!

CL:Yeah,I learnt how to freeze it and move it and shake it... actually, that was a good year.

Dealing with Montoya actually helped me deal with a lot of things back here after I returned.

PB:In retrospect, everyone has realised that Montoya - your

F3000 teammate - was a hit of a weapon,so they’d probably sit back and say,‘Craig had a lot of difficulties that year, a lack of support’, so the results were probably better in retrospect than a lot of people thought they were.

CL: Up until that point he was a completely different teammate to anything that I’d ever had. There was yourself and Mark ... well, Mark hadn’t really come on the scene at that stage. Montoya was a person who was very determined.

PB:Did he play mind games?

CL: Not really. Well, it didn’t work on me if he was trying!

PB:As far as you were concerned, he was just some Colombian.

CL: He was a very interesting person, very highly strung, very determined...

PB:Bouncy?

CL:Yeah. continued on page 32 31

continued from page 31 PB:When he sits down, does his left knee go like ...(jiggles left knee)like Brad Jones, or...

CL:Actually, he wasn’t that bad! (laughter). He was pretty dedicated, and he’s where he wants to be now.

PHIL BEANAGAN:Can I butt in here?

PB: No, you can’t. Who’s running this show?

Phil:I was going to ask about the mentor role. Montoya wasn’t going to be a mentor for Craig in F3000, but back here, you filled that role...

PB: The first time I took particular notice of Craig’s career was in 1993, with the Formula Fords. Craig had a huge budget, and he had top machinery, and he just had it all happening. So he bludged everything he could!(Laughs).

Race tape...

CL: Mr Sheen! I remember Rick White, who now works in HRT but used to be part of Peter’s original team. I remember every race weekend going up and borrowing a can of Mr Sheen because my Formula Ford wasn’t clean enough.

PB:That was a good era because, whenever you talk to

young kids nowadays about how you go about‘doing it’,,j?:ou explain that you’ve got to get a respect for the craft, and youi’ve got to go through the hard yards. It’s like being a blues singer - you’ve got to actually ‘do it’ so you can do it properfly.

CL: It’s a pity, because those days are gone,those days of preppiog and building your o\to car and tiieii driving it...

PB:But why, Craig? Whyshould it have gone? Is it because you can’t get the sta®, or...

CL:Yeah,I think it’s just got too commercial.

and whistles.

CL: Exactly.

PB:It doesn’t change your mind,though. The mental approach remains the same.

CL: Yeah.

PB:Despite all the computer embellishments -1 should say the backup - that says,‘This is what I’m doing and here’s the computer showing it all’, the mindset to succeed I don’t think has changed.

CL: No, it hasn’t.

PB:No.And that’s the thing that’s very hard to get through II to the observers -Peter Brock of the sport, who tend to make it into a technical exercise.

It is a technical exercise, but there are still individuals with very strong mindsets saying, ‘That’s what I’m going to do’.

One of the great things that I think you’ve shown in the last few years is that, despite the external pressures,in your mind you’ve stayed with,‘This is what I’m going to do’. And that is the difference, I reckon.

"I reckon vou're gettng more out of your car than wlialt it deserves.

PB: What about other categories?

CL: Well, even in Formula Ford now, they’ve got transporters, they’ve got team mechanics ,.. Fm not saying doing it way we did it is wrong - and you can still do itbut I think it is a lot harder for tdie individual to do it that way.

PB:Yeah.And possibly you won’t get the return for the sponsor^, or on the track, unless you’ve got a few behs

m

CL: It’s interesting. Like yourself, the last three or four years we’ve been in the sport we’ve had a high year and a low year and a high year...

PB:By ‘we’ you mean you and Nat? CL: Yeah, both of us. We’ve gone through all of it, really. We had a great year in ’96, and a low year in ’97, we came back and had a good year in ’98 and ’99 ... 2000 was our turning year, and ever since then it’s just slowly increasing again.

PB:I don’t know whether you’ve got to the age yet where you can reflect on that, saying ‘this is better’, but eventually maybe you’ve done it now - you say,‘That was good for me’.

That challenge, that difficulty, that stuff that wasn’t particularly palatable at the time ... you might say that’s unfair, but eventually it’s made you who you are.

CL: Well, yeah. Definitely the biggest thing is that you learn from things. I think ’97 was the biggest learning year of my life.

To go outside your environment that you’re comfortable in and race in another area, another country...

PB:But you’ve got to stick

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SPECIAL FEATURE yourself out there; you’ve got to continually give yourself challenges.

This current challenge you’ve got, how do you think you’re going there?

CL: Yeah, pretty good. I think as a team we’re getting a lot closer together and gelling a lot more.

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PB:Do you want my opinion as an outsider looking in?

Let’s rate your car. I’ll be a harsh marker here ... let’s rate your car at seven out of ten.

CL: Yep. PB:And I reckon you’re driving at at least nine out of ten. So I reckon you’re getting more out of your car than what it deserves.

So if you were driving another... another vehicle prepared within these regulations, shall we say (laughter), you’d probably be up there leading the pack.

CL: But this, I guess, is what the biggest challenge for us was. To get into a vehicle that no-one really rated, the Falcon, and ...

mmim V. i

together as a team, I don’t think there’s any question about that. It will be interesting next year and it will be the same for you as well, dealing with the new model car ...

Dynamic Duo: Brock and Lowndes battle it out as HRT teammates in (Phatosby Dirk Kiynsmilh and Mark Blowers) 1996(above) and share the podium.

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Shell SI

PB:It will be great.

CL:... and the cars will be closer.

PB:I don’t know why;if you PB:And also, as far as we’re arrived here from somewhere concerned for next year, we can start with a clean sheet of out of space and you lobbed on the planet paper and which actually go and someone spend some did at the money in that back area,rather n paddock at than taking my place existing the other - Craig Lowndes equipment and day, by the trying to make the most of that. way (laughter)- but if you did and I mean, what are you going you looked at the regulations ... to do - build something brandnew for six months? you’d say the Falcon had a lot CL: No. going for it.

CL: I agree.

PB: No,of course you’re not. So PB: So the potential’s there. you sit there and say,‘Let’s get But the culture of the team, as the most we can out of this’, you know,that’s the thing to keeping in mind what you’re get.

CL: Yeah. And we’re gelling continued on page 34

"We're gelling together as a team,I don't think there's any doubt about that.

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33

Loy\^ndes/Brock Continued from page 33

lined up -“How’s it going, Brocky?”, you know.

And this guy gets up front and says,“IVe been following you since the Olympics in Melhoiume” or something -1 don’t know,it was a long time “and I’d like you to sign something for me”.

He said,“it’s a bit unusual,” and I said,“that’s fine.”

The guy has got a glass eye!

And he whips it out and puts it on the counter...

CL: Ewww!

going to do in 2003.

Changing subject slightly, I must admit the greatest value I see in doing what I’m doing now is dealing with people.

Strange, isn’t it. But I can just hang around with people and sign autographs - it’s great.

CL: But that was always your strong point.

PB:Yep. Forget the on-track (laughter). But you’ve certainly carried that mantle pretty well amongst the current crop.

CL: Well, it’s easy when you’ve got a teacher like yourself.

PB:And everyone just goes aaargh!” There were people basically fainting (laughter).

So I got the pen and scribbled and he just put it back in!

CL: Really?

PB: Oh, yeah,sure (laughter).

But it is very satisfying, isn’t it?

CL: Well, it is. For us, both Nat and I, now really, I guess, to see the interest level in people and the way that they...

PB:I swear to you!Isn’t that the wierdest thing you’ve ever heard in your life?

I mean, here’s this guy with this damn socket,just sitting there!

CL:A glass eye ... I’ve got a bit to work on, haven’t I?

PB:The connection.

CL: Yeah. The connection we’ve got - I’m sure like yourself Plenty of families around the coimtryside are almost part of the family.

PB:So what would you say to the average up-and-coming V8 Supercar driver who’s knocking on the door. Rate them,say, eight, eight and a half out of ten; they’re good kids, but they haven’t got any public recognition or rapport with the public. What would you say?

CL: Well, that’s a huge part of it, because if you don’t succeed in a driving sense - if you’re not a superstar race winner - then the view of the general public, how they see you, can either make or break your career.

Because, even if you don’t perform and succeed, if the general public still wants you and desires you, that can make sponsors attracted to you.

PB:And then it’s a snowballing effect.

CL: Yeah.

PB:So not only have you got the sponsor, or the wherewithal to get the right people around you, you’ve also got that intangible, which is public support.

Now,you know as well as I do that from the first time that you started racing you were very conscious of that fact, that it’s good to be out there and be amongst the public and be liked by them,rather than the opposite. Life’s easier, isn’t it?

CL: It is; it’s a hell of a lot easier.

PB:So you’d say to these kids 34

"The guy has got a glass eye! And he whips it out and puts it on the counter... So i got the pen and scribbled and he just put it back in!"

-Peter Brock out there,‘Get out there and do something.’

CL: Spend the time and do it, because it’s quite amazing - when you listen to what some of the comments are, it’s generally worthwhile.

And when people pay good money to come to the pits to look at drivers or teams or cars it’s not fair to fob them off, or be rude or arrogant towards them...

PB:Do you think there’s a level of preciousness in the culture at the moment? Like,‘we’re doing them a favour by turning up’, or...

CL: Yeah, I guess there is. There are some teams out there, from what I’ve seen, that put up walls.

PB:They do, don’t they.

CL:And they seem like, “We’re bigger and better’.

I think some teams would like a Formula One-style pit or pit area you know, swipe cards that only let media and a selected few other people in...

PB:Yeah.I think the NASCAR approach is pretty good.

'They’re fairly open-minded in the way they handle people, and they’re very approachable.

And,really, you don’t feel as if

you are intruding. Here, you can easily get that impression, even though we haven’t got the swipe cards.

CL: That’s the way I reckon some teams would like to see it go, though.

PB:But I like getting down to the merchandising area and just hanging out.

CL: Yeah!

PB:It’s actually good! Holding babies and stufi like that! (laughs). Have you had a few ‘Craig Lowndes’tattoos on people?

CL: Yeah, I had a couple at Eastern Creek. One guy was very particular about where he wanted it - and made sure that I used a fine pen so that the tattooist could copy it easily.

PB: Now,tell me. What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever signed? Because I’ll swap with you.

CL: I’ve had some strange letters and I get some strange requests, but I can’t think of anything totally strange that we’ve had to sign.

PB: Mine was at Eastern Creek just the other day. There’s a queue there, and they’re all

PB:That was a good one. Mind you, it took a long time to manifest itself. I mean,it wasn’t as if it happened when I was about your age.

'There are some strange things out there, aren’t there?

But I love it!

CL: That’s the great thing about what we do.

PB:Yeah, yeah. See, it’s not like footy and things like that.

I get to know a lot offooty players and cricket players, as you do,but motor racing’s different. I wonder what it is?

It’s because we take so many risks, I suppose. Or they think we do, anyway. Craig, do you take a few risks?

CL: Every now and then.

PB: Well, you have to, don’t you? That’s the deal.

CL: That’s what we’re employed to do.

PB:Like, well,‘there’s a gap, that looks like me...’

CL:Yeah. Well, hopefully... (laughter).

PB: Well I thought it was!

One last thing. How important do you feel your mindset, your sense of wellbeing, is toward how well you’re going to go in the car?

CL: I think it’s a huge part of it.

If you’re not thinking of the job at hand and don’t have a clear, settled mind, you’re not going to give one hundi'ed percent. You never 'will. motorsporl news

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James Courtney/Will Davison

The Young Ones Young Australians are everywhere overseas and motor racing is no different AARON NOONANjumped on a plane and went to England, not in chase ofa Formula 1 dream, but to hang out with a couple of our young stars doing their own ‘Odd Couple’routine

that, as a kid, you got Remember the time lost in the shopping centre when you strayed away from walking with your parents? And that totally sickin-the-stomach feeling that accompanied it when you realised you were totally on your own and you thought you’d never get home again?

That’s not quite how it is for young Aussie racing drivers living overseas, but the simple necessity of actually living is one of the elements that you don’t read about in magazines or think of at the race track.

In a modem little flat in Buckingham,just a quick 10minute blast from Silverstone and not far from Jaguar’s base at Milton Ke3Ties, you’ll find two of those young guns who have moved away from home,family and friends, to pursue their motor racing dream - F3 flyer James Courtney and Formula Renault young gun Will Davison.

The duo moved in together at the beginning of the year. For

Courtney, living away from home is normal, having lived overseas since 1996, firstly in Italy for two years, then in Holland for one and now in England. On the other hand, Davison, 19, is veiy much the rookie, living away from home for the first time.

“When I was younger it was pretty hard,” says James, as he nuts out how to pay his phone bill over the internet.

“You don’t have your mum here and you have to work it out for yourself, pay your own bills and that sort of thing. It’s better living with racing people though. I enjoy being around people in the industry -it’s what I do.”

The flat has turned into an Aussie racing refuge. In the week that Motorsport News crashed on the couch, there was a revolving door of visitors: Ashley Seward, a former Formula Fordster in Oz but now working in the UK, pops in, as does Craig Murray, a Scot who runs the factory Mygale Formula Ford team and who can’t help himself but wheel out some

Noonan is on the podium! Well, his flag was, anyway, as Master James extended his lead in the British F3 Championship (above) and at Will Davsion’s Formula Renault race.

(Photos by Sutton-lmages/Noonan) Australian ‘impressions’- “Struth’ and “corker ...” are his best efforts Will’s brother Alex and his girlfriend visit from Germany, while Richard Saxby, a test team engineer at Jaguar FI, is a regular visitor.

In between races and test days, there’s plenty of time to fill in. The

PlayStation 2 gets more of a work out than either of the boy’s race cars, while the nearby gym is a regular destination for keeping in shape.

The local Tescos (that’s a supermarket by the way), isn’t far away and it’s there that Davison has found his heaven. The pre cooked chicken and vegetable pack

Still gotta eat: Noonan helps with the email (below) while Davison makes a dash for the pre-cooked chicken and vegl

(Photos by Noonan)

f

36

motorsport news

AUSSIES ABROAD

is his favourite and when you’re on a good thing, why switch? Beats the hell out of cooking. Eating out is an option, but when you’re on a budget and the cost of living is so high thanks to the ‘Pacific Peso’, being resourceful is a skill that develops quickly.

“There are some pretty lonely times but I’ve already got a good group of friends and my management team that looks after me and I can concentrate on the driving,” says Will.

“You’re driving a fair bit in races and there’s plenty of testing, so it’s good to hit the gym in my spare time. The lifestyle is a little bit of fun.’

Indeed.

There’s a real community feel among the young racers in Formula Renault and Formula 3, all of them with a common goal. but the minute the helmets come off, it’s mates aplenty. It’s a bit like a United Nations meeting with Belgian Formula Fordster Jan Heylen, American Pat Long, and Irishmen James Murphy, Matt Griffin and Phil Kirshaw all part of the regular crew.

The phone gets a real work-out.

Keeping in regular contact with family and friends at home is a necesity to retain some snaity. I’d

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12 June 2002

hate to see the phone bill...

Actually, with modem world communication systems, like email and text messaging, keeping in touch with home is much easier than it once was. That ease of communication makes home seem a bit closer than the other side of the world.

Buckingham itself is a small place. It’s old-style England, with narrow streets that are congested with parked cars. The houses are a mixture of old and new,the new not quite looking as if they fit in, lined with English flags as World Cup fever hits.

Things happen a bit slower here.

It’s a bit like Darwin. Nobody’s in too much of a hurry. That fact is confirmed by the time on the clock when the household rises from its bed. It’s not every day that you see an FI test driver wander out into the lounge room in his boxer shorts and sleepily ask for the time ...

By the end of the week, it’s time to continue my European racing tour. Rockingham and Le Mans await, but while James and Will continue their Odd Couple routine, at least I know that I’m going home and can see my friends and family in a couple of weeks.

And get my mum to do some cooking and washing...

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37

Canberra 400

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HOLDEM

he may be loathe admit it, it is likely T ▼ that Mark Skaife headed to Canberra intent, not so much as adding to his list of 2002 race wins, but keeping his Holden Racing Team Commodore VX away from the unforgiving walls of the narrow ACT streets and gathering as many points as possible.

But, what the heck, he won anyway.

Skaife took his V8 Supercar Championship Series record for the year to 13 starts, 10 wins after putting behind him his worst qualifying performance of the year - sixth! - and watching anyone who could challenge him selfdestruct in Canberra.

One by one, his opposition accounted for themselves. Marcos Ambrose crashed in the top 15 RunOff; thereafter, he was playing catch up. Penalties accounted for poleman Craig Lowndes and Jason Bright.

Steven Richards tangled with Bright. Russell IngaU won a race but was unfortunate - and penalised in the others. And Greg Murphy suffered mechanical maladies.

The weekend was a tough one for Ford. After having opportunities vanish in Race 1, they hit the walls in Race 2 as Falcon after Falcon ran into the walls or each other each other. Put simply, it was a disaster of World Cup proportions for the Blue Oval which will - MUST - win a race

Leader ef th

38

motorspon news

V8 SUPERCAB CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES Mark Skaife took his fifth straight V8SCS win on the streets of Canberra, where the weather was coid and the opposition seif-destructed. PHIL BRAIUAGAIM surveyed the wreckage in the ACT Practice and Qualifying 3*

soon or face a long winter.

But whether a result of luck, the El Nino effect, voodoo or just plain good preparation, HRT is the class of the field and all the strife that afflicts that team heads straight for car #2, not car #1. Skaife is driving perfectly and the rest have a lot of work to do.

I'

You can never well, predict weather in Australia; parts of Australia, anyway.

The first week of winter came to an end in usually-chilly Melbourne with an overnight minimum in the mid-teens, a welcome sight in, maybe, November or March.

Canberra was not much different; after a wintry blast the week preceding the race. Practice day dawned fairly fine and unseasonably mild, with double digits(not negatives) on board for most of the day.

Maybe our forefathers who,for reasons now seemingly

unfathomable, decided to bung the National Capital in about the coldest spot in the whole land knew something we did not. Maybe the phrase “This is the place for a V8 Supercar race” was uppermost in their minds. Maybe not...

After the various politicians from both sides of the political void, who took time out from sledging each other across floor of the House of Reprehensibles (ooops. Representatives) to attend photo opportunities with sundry drivers, were shuffled away in their government cars, the real stuff started to take to the ACT streets.

To no-one’s great surprise, HRT led the. way, putting aside the

news-driven controversy of team manager Jeff Grech sledging the Ford opposition across the floor (okay, newsprint) of The Australian. Skaife led the times in both practice sessions, topping Ingall by all of half a second in P2, while Ambrose, Radisich and, surprisingly, Craig Baird followed in order. It was a bit of a surprise for the Team Brock machine, which had given the concrete a nudge in the first session (in which he was last), Baird’s time aided by newer rubber than the opposition were using at the time.

So, to the session proper. There was a red car and a blue car leading the sheets after the qualifier was over. Big deal, one might say. But there was a fair bit more to it than that.

It was Bright on provisional pole from Ambrose. And it was not, even then, that straightforward; Brighty had given the waU a bit of a clout on his first run and went into the second half of the faster session with the steering offcentre, courtesy of a bent steering arm. Despite tliis, and the advice of the team to get out of the car, he came up with a lm43.76s to heat Ambrose by 0.17s. And that could have worked out differently; Marcos had been 0.2s faster on one sector but lost the time over the remainder of the lap. He shrugged it off but it must have grated him.

Skaife and Lowndes were next, the series leader not that happy with officialdom. He had been on a fast lap but cocked up a chicane, taking a short cut at'Turn 4. For the rest of the lap, he ‘penalised’ himself, only to be invited to drive through the pit lane at the pleasure of the Stewards.

“I wasn’t that happy a camper, but you have to cop it on the chin,”

continued on page 41

e Opposition 12 June 2002

39

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iobil

POSDRIVER 1 2 Jason Bright 2 4 Marcos Ambrose 3 1 MarkSkaife 4 00 Craig Lowndes 5 34 Garth Tander 6 Russell Ingall 7 17 Steven Johnson 51 Greg Murphy 9 65 Max Wilson 10 16 Steven Richards 11 15 Todd Kelly 12 9 David Besnard 13 27 Neil Crompton 14 5 Glenn Seton 15 888 John Bowe 16 18 Paul Radisich 17 11 Larry Perkins 18 10 Mark Larkham 19 02 Rick Kelly 20 43 PaulWeel 21 600 Simon Wills 22 31 Steve Ellery 23 3 Cameron McConville 24 66 Tony Longhurst 25 2f Brad Jones 26 75 Anthony Tratt 27 40 Cameron McLean 28 54 Craig Baird 29 021 Jason Richards 30 29 Paul Morris 31 35 Jason Bargwanna 32 7 Rodney Forbes 33 46 John Faulkner 34 14 Wayne Wakefield

GAR Holden Racing Team Commodore VX Pirtek/SBR Falcon AU Holden Racing Team Commodore VX 00 Motorsport Falcon AU Valvoline/Cummins Commodore VX Castrol/Perkins Commodore VX Shell Helix/DJR Falcon AU Kmart Racing Team Commodore VX Betta Electrical/Briggs Falcon AU Castrol/Perkins Commodore VX Kmart Racing Team Commodore VX Caltex Havoline/SBR Falcon AU 00 Motorsport Falcon AU Ford Credit Racing Falcon AU OzEmail Racing/BJR Falcon AU Shell Helix/DJR Falcon AU Castrol Perkins Commodore VX Orrcon Racing Falcon AU Holden Young Lions Commodore VX K&J Thermal/DuPont Falcon AU CAT Racing/Briggs Falcon AU Super Cheap Racing Falcon AU Lansvale Smash Repairs Commodore VX Betta Electrical/Briggs Falcon AU OzEmail Racing/BJR Falcon AU Toll Ipec Falcon AU VIP Pet Foods Falcon AU Team Brock Commodore VX Team Kiwi Commodore VT Sirromet Wines Commodore VX Valvoline/Cummins Commodore VX 00 Motorsport Falcon AU Dynopack/GJGardner Commodore VX Delta Europcar/IMS Commodore VX

TIME 1m43.76l3s lm43.9323s 1m44.0137s 1m44.2079s Im44.2079s lm44.4332s 1m44.4876s lm44.5344s 1m44.6848s lm44.6928s Im44.7090s Im44.7612s lm44.7970s lm44.8107s lm44.8277s lm44,9624s lm44.9786s lm45.1173s 1m45.l255s Im45.1719s lm45.2256s lm45.2584s 1m45.3069s lm45.4021s lm45.5332s 1m45.5476s lm45.6111s lm45.6290s 1m45.6848s lm46.0476s lm46.I220s fm46.6828s Im46.9451s lm48,4350s

continued from page 39

Pirtek under pressure: Ambrose made a rare error in the

he said afterwards.

Lowndes’s effort came at the

Top 15 Run Off, crunching the nose of the Pirtek SBR Ford.

death, the 00 Spongemobile emerging with only two minutes (and, therefore, one lap)left in the session. It had been well-timed; Craig was late to get going in the 30 minute session, leaving the other drivers to sweep the track clean of leaves for him.

Tander and Ingall were next, the two drivers who will(may, might, perhaps?) be on the move for next season. Tander’s lap was ugly; no, more than that, it was move-the-

Top 15 Shoot-out 1 2 3 4 5

I

Lowndes Bright Murphy S. Richards Besnard

1:44.4035 1:44.4646 1:44,7118 1:44.9936 1:45.2086

6 7 8 9 10

Skaife Johnson T. Kelly Seton Wilson

1:45.3248 1:45.5660 1:45.7127 1:45.8391 1:45.8524

11 12 13 14 15

Ingall Crompton Tander Bowe Ambrose

1:45.8685 1:46.0055 1:46.2239 1:46.2932 1:52.1447

USSCSRoundS Canberra 400

I’d like to thank ... urn, Holden: Ingall returned to the winners’ circle on Sunday with a Race 2 win in the Castrol/Perkins VX. (Photo by John Morris/Mpix)

(Photo by Mick Fishbum)

kids-and-check-the-insurancepolicy ugly as GT stretched the racetrack beyond its usual wddth and scared the hell out of everyone except himself and his team.

“You’re fifth,” the crew told him on the radio after his effort.

“Happy with that?”

“I’ll think about it,” understated the tall bloke.

Ingall was not that thrilled about being bumped back a spot by Garth, but was otherwise happy enough with his car, which was a quarter-second better than that of team-mate Steven Richards.

Tander was 1.75s faster than his team-mate. Jason Bargwanna lost all but three laps of the opening practice when a throttle cable broke, stranding him on the track and, thereafter, simply could not drag any speed out of the Valvoline VX. He was 31st which, even given the tough season he is enduring, was a bad result.

The other notable effort, and this is getting to be a regular occurrence now,came from Max Wilson. Despite nursing a dodgy left shoulder, the diminutive Brazilian responded to a latersession from the team to “pull one out” by pulling one out, heaving up the timing charts from about 20th to ninth, all this on his first visit to the track. To be honest,the driver looked much better (Betta?)that'

i

the car, the yellow AU lurching through the corner as Max gave it the max. He was 12 and 15 spots up the grid from his team-mates, Simon Wills and Tony Longhurst.

So, to the top 15. The main points of interest were that Skaifey made a mistake in set-up, which he realised right away and. continued on page 42 12 June 2002

41

Canberra 400 continued from page 41

«● Photo by John Morris/Mpix

My achey breaky back

RACING drivers, being impatient as they are, usually vdo mot like spending any more time in the pits than they .absolutely have to.

But Paul Morris went into Race 3 at Canberra planning to make ^ as many stops as he needed to get to the end of the race.

Realising the need to secure as many points as possible to make the field in Perth, The

Dude was planning to stop whenever he had to to ease the pain in his aching back, which had been causing him grief all weekend. Some pre-race modifications to the Sirromet VX helped matters somewhat, Morris coming home in 24th position, two laps down in race winner Mark Skaife.

And he will race in Perth.

-PHILBRANAGAN

www.kar^rs.com.au

understandably, went into conservative mode(by his standards, y’understand) and put the car into sixth, almost the back of the grid by his standards.

Lowndes put together one of those marvellous, cold-ish tyre laps that make you wonder how many helpings of driving talent he has had in his life, while Ambrose made a dramatic error on his run, clouting the tyres and making a mess of most of the front of his car, which would start from 15th.

It was almost a replay of Paul Radisich’s 2001 effort at Canberra but it did set up a fascinating scenario ... Could anyone catch Lowndes? What could Ambrose do from 15th? And how many points could Skaife salvage from the wreckage of what was,for him, a bad session.

Would you believe ... plenty?

Race 1 (25 laps) rphe trouble with Mark Skaife is that heracing is never, ever beaten untU you hold him down and drive a wooden stake through his heart (metaphorically speaking).

Imagine playing poker against the man; you place your het and

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W8 SUPEBCAB CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

It is not like he wasn’t trying: Jason Bargwanna had a horror weekend, qualifying badly and having the car slick in fourth gear in Race 1, But he certainly gave the GRM Commodore the business over the kerbs ...

(Photo by Bob Potts)

call for one card; the next player asks for two and sees you; the next player folds; and Skaifey sees you and asks for four cards. You have him beaten, right?

Um, no. Race 1 was the equivalent of out-hetting him, having him see all your bets and, when you show him your three Jacks, he slaps down three Kings and a pair of 10s and takes your dough.

Ambrose was tucked away on grid 15 and was no threat. Skaife out-jumped Besnard at the start, stayed out of trouble and took his ninth win in 11 starts by almost 3s. How? By driving smart, staying out of trouble and allowing everyone else to bet the house on a pair of threes.

Bright and Lowndes had a pretty even start hut Jason took the first corner, only for Lowndes to slide past and open a 1.5s lead on the opening lap. That allowed Murphy to get onto the tail of the HRT car and start a heated battle, which survived the round"of stops (which started on lap 2) and a brush at the hack of the track.

Both carried on regardless until it became a battle for the lead.

Lowndes had received a stop-go penalty. The 00 Falcon had crossed the blend line on the pit exit and was hauled in for a 40kmh taccatacca through the long pitlane.

Murphy, who had pitted right behind Lowndes and Bright and passed #2 on an excellent stop, saw the transgression. Craig resumed at the rear and was 18th by lap 12, 10th by lap 18 and ninth by the flag.

So now Murf led - but he was going to have dramas too. By the end of lap one, his telemetry showed a failed alternator and it was only a waiting game until the Exide battery went flat. It happened on lap 15, when the Kmart car ground to a halt, ironically, at the Exide chicane.

So that left Brighty in the box seat, right? No;the officials deemed that he had exited his pit box (the one closest to the pit exit) without properly crossing into the fast lane and hauled him in for some 40kmh penance. Brighty had

liSf

2r5d;

incorrectly sensed that another car was coming (it wasn’t) and made room; by the finish, he was all the way back in 16th.

So Skaife won. Again.

“It was a bit of a fortunate win for us,” he said later. “You take those races.”

And the 80 points that go with them, presumably.

Richards was second, heady driving allied by with knowledge that Todd Kelly, right behind, was not going to bet the farm on a do or-die pass, especially with Ambrose, one ofthe only two cars on the track with enough speed to get by, closing fast in fourth.

So that is how they finished, from Besnard and Perkins, the Castrol senior driver having his best race in some time for sixth.

The other Castrol car was the other car with genuine, race winning pace. But Ingall had had to make an extra stop when a tyre went down on him and, on the final lap, had the car lose its steering at the first corner. Rusty uttered the appropriate oaths, wrestled the car to a stop and waddled around the last lap within the prescribed time hmit, his intent being to secure a good start position for the reverse grid race.

Ingall secured a front-row spot alongside Cameron McLean,the VIP Pet Ford having made two stops for repairs to the front after a Turn 1 squeeze left him bent and damaged. Bargwanna was going to be up there too; the GRM Commodore had been stuck in fourth gear and was on cruise control for the back half of the race.

There was some discussion for

continued on page 44

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I 43

Canberra 400 continued from page 43 some time after the race that the pit window had been infringed by the first 11 cars, which pitted on lap 2 rather that at the end of it.

After some deliberation, it was decided to let all 11 cars remain in the results.

After his sixth grid start, Skaifey had dodged a bullet. Again.

He couldn’t do it from the back of the grid, surely?

Race 2(25 laps) It was less on Sunday, colder too.sunny Between the two races, some small flaky stuff floated slowly down to the ground.

It was snow.

This was to be either Ford’s Tobruk, or its Waterloo. Surely, surely, things could not get worse for the marque, could they?

Yep. There were nine retirements from the race; three Holdens and six Fords. The cause of the stopped Lions were, respectively, fuel pressure(Wayne Wakefield), gearbox (Rick Kelly) and broken driveshaft(Murphy).

The cause of the retirements for the Fords were; crash, crash, crash, crash, crash and crash.

And then there were some other Fords that finished with battle damage. One Ford spokesperson, musing out loud, put the cost of repairs for the race at about $150,000.

Oh yes, the race. Ingall won the start, stayed out of trouble and won by 13s, driving smart and showing consistent car speed. With the impending news of his move for 2003, it was the nearest thing to a second Ford win this season.

After Murf trailed in early with the broken driveshaft, there was much to see, including a concertina collision between Johnson, Radisich and Bowe, but that was only an honorable mention

compared with what was to come.

Jones was looking inside Forbes but the 00 car held the outside line, tagged the wall and clouted the OzEmail machine. Seton crunched his car. Wills was in

there with broken suspension, Ellery went bang and there was only one car’s width of track. As the Safety Car was summoned, Ambrose made his stop and there lay the story of his great result.

fifth, from the rear.

After three laps of trailing around, the Safety Car pulled off, only for Jones(who was trying to get by Wakefield) to tangle with Week The new SBR enduro driver was less than complimentary continued on page 46 Not a good day for the Fords: Especially the Queensland ones.

Max Wilson, above, hit the Betta car against Canberra’s concrete several times, w/hile Simon Wills, left, also had a tough time in the Caterpillar AD. People in Class Houses shouldn’t throw Stones: Ambrose had to play catchup after a Race 3 shunt, holding station behind team-mate Besnard all the way to the end.

(Photos by John Morris^pix)

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DISEGNO STE4767

Canberra 400 continued from page 44 about Brad’s alleged inability to look in his mirrors, Jones getting 20th at the end, one spot behind his team-mate, while Weel retired.

So Bright made it up to second from Richards. But it was not Steven, it was Jason, the Team Kiwi car living up to the team’s promise by showing excellent race speed, especially for a 1998 model car.

Faulkner was fourth, Longhurst fifth from the fast-closing Ambrose, who secured a front-row Race 3 start with an excellent charge.

Then came the two GRMs(Tander leading Bargwanna), Richard S and Kelly T. Skaife was 13th, his best race lap a full second quicker than the cars either side of him, which kind of demonstrates how he got there.

And he had just moved past Forbes before it all happened. He had dodged a bullet. Again. He couldn’t do it again, surely. Could he?

I just feel so old: Lowndes threw everything at Kelly in the final race but The Toddler held him off for second.

(Photos by Dirk Klynsmilh) Rattled: Radisich had a tough weekend, but then so did many of the Ford drivers.

Race 3(50 laps) Points after Rounds Skaife 1384, Kelly 725, Murphy 702, Ambrose 613, Lowndes 598, Bright 580, S. Richards 563, Tander 459, Johnson 411, Besnard 385, Bowe 363, Longhurst 362, Ingall 351, Bargwanna 286, Jones 267, Larkham 253, J. Richards 251, Perkins 249, Baird 234, Radisich 215, Seton 211, Crompton 200, Faulkner 185, McConville 179, Wills 165, Weel 148, Tratt 134, Ellery 125, R. Kelly 117, McLean 111, Wilson 108, Forbes 94, Morris 69, Wayne Gardner 62, Stephen White 43, Greg Ritter 36, Wakefield 26, Dugal McDougal 24, Paul Romano -82.

There were about 10to schools thought about how tackleofa 50 lap race with compulsory and separate pitstops for fuel and tyres.

One was to make stops on successive laps and hope that worked out. One was to save your best tyres, pit early for rubber and then go back in mid-race for fuel.

Another was to start light on fuel and take more on early before evening out the t3ue wear with a mid-race stop.

But the best strategy would have been; stay behind the red thing with the big 1 on it and do whatever he does.

Richards jumped away at the

start while a missed Ambrose gear allowed Skaife into second straight away.As soon as the pit window opened, Skaife came in but, somewhat controversially, crossed the yellow line on the way in. He completed a good stop and got back into the game.

“I just got close, that was all,” he said after the race. “It was nothing.”

With the pitstops going on in earnest, DJR added another option to the pit strategy; pit both cars together. While Johnson was being rerubbered, Radisich had to wait, losing around seven seconds. A stuff-up, but it came to nothing when 'The Rat found the power steering leaking away and, after a few laps, he pulled in.

At the end of lap 5, Richards came in for fuel and rejoined just in front of Skaife. But Richo then pitted for rubber the following lap, leaving Skaife on clear road. He

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MOTORSPORTDEALERS 46

if

motorsport news

U8 SUPERGAR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES V8SCS Round 5 Stegbar 400

Canberra

was flying; on lap 4, he did a lm44.52s, the fastest race lap of the whole weekend, and a time good enough for seventh in qualifying. When he pitted three laps later, he had a gap on Richards and the game,effectively, was over.

Ingall’s race had been delayed by a slow stop, but it was ruined when he touched the line on the pit exit and was give a drive-through penalty. Bright waited until lap 15 and returned right behind Todd Kelly and Richards(who was 4s continued on page 48 AVESCO'S pointscoring system, which was revised and then re-revised before the start of the season, was the subject of some discussion in Canberra.

Take the case of Greg Murphy, right, getting a hand from Max Wiison. After alternator and tailshaft problems in the first two races, Murf scalded to fourth in Race 3, earning 125 points. That put him ninth overall for the weekend. That is because the 50lapper in the ACT pays more points that most other events.

Mark Skaife's remarkable weekend scored him 340 points.

Only 12 other drivers have scored more than that in the whole series so far, and drivers like Jason Bargwanna, Paul Radisich and Larry Perkins have not scored as many points all season as Skaifey grabbed in Canberra.

Is the points system perfect?

No. No system is. The problem this year is that most of the points are going to one bloke ...

- PHIL BRANAGAN 12 June 2002

CD M

Rico 1-25 laps PosDriver Race lime Fastest lap 1 Skaife 45:05.6630 1:45.3633 3 CO 2 S. Richards 45:08.5168 1:46.2253 9 ^ 45:08.8589 1:46.1367 17 3 T. Kelly 4 Ambrose 45:09.9983 1:45.0180 15 5 Besnard 45:21.4036 1:45.9022 7 6 Perkins 45:32.7917 1:45.4261 9 7 Tander 45:33.0453 1:45.7242 8 8 Radisich 45:39.0232 1:45.5309 7 9 Lowndes 45:42.4911 1:45.6551 9 10 Johnson 45:50.1429 1:46.1298 8 11 Bowe 45:50.5031 1:46.5287 5 45:50.7422 1:46.5766 7 12 Crompton 13 Weel 45:51.5358 1:46.3751 9 14 Seton 45:51.9437 1:46.1760 6 15 Baird 45:52.3062 1:45.6203 17 45:52.6910 1:45.6253 7 16 Bright 17 Jones 45:57.0041 1:46.2360 5 1:46.1572 6 45:57.4678 18 Ellery 19 Wills 45:58.8507 1:46.2909 6 20 Larkham 46:08.7302 1:46.9064 4 46:11.1876 1:46.2373 10 21 Longhurst 22 Faulkner 46:12.4595 1:46.8327 14 23 Tratt 46:17.6214 1:47.1452 7 24 Forbes 46:26.6962 1:47.0364 5 25 Morris 1:46.6573 10 24 laps 26 J. Richards 1:46.0256 6 24 laps 1:46.2575 7 27 Bargwanna 23 laps 1:45.2007 7 I 28 Ingall 24 laps 29 McLean 1:47.1173 4 22 laps DNFWilson 1:46.5485 6 20 laps 1:45.2261 7 DNFMurphy 14 laps ONFMcConville 1:46.1339 6 13 laps 1:46.1924 8 DNFR. Kelly 10 laps ONFWakefield 5 laps 1:50.63702 3 Rau 2- 25 laps 1 Ingall 2 Bright 3 J. Richards 4 Faulkner 5 Longhurst 6 Ambrose 7 Tander 8 Bargwanna 9 S. Richards 10 T. Kelly 11 Baird 12 Larkham 13 Skaife 14 Johnson 15 Besnard 16 Lowndes 17 Wilson 18 Perkins 19 Bowe 20 Jones 21 McConville 22 McLean 23 Morris 24 Crompton 25 Ellery ONFWakefield DNFWills DNFWeel DNFSeton DNFForbes DNFRadisich DNFTratt DNFR. Kelly DNFMurphy

Racfl 3-50 laot

1 Skaife 2 T. Kelly 3 Lowndes 4 Murphy 5 Besnard 6 Johnson 7 Bowe 8 S. Richards 9 Bright 10 Ingall 11 J. Richards 12 Longhurst 13 Jones 14 Baird 15 Tratt 16 Faulkner 17 Crompton 18 Bargwanna 19 McLean 20 Ambrose 21 Larkham 22 Wakefield 23 Wills 24 Morris 25 McConville DNFWeel DNFWilson DNFSeton DNFPerkins DNFEIIery DNFR. Kelly DNFRadisich DNFTander

47:51.6151 48:04.6391 48:05.8900 48:06.7619 48:07.0975 48:07,7170 48:08.4491 48:08.7496 48:09.6664 48:10.2034 48:12.0029 48:12.9533 48:13.1553 48:17.2581 48:17.6473 48:17.8233 48:25.9821 48:26.2600 48:26.5273 48:27.6161 48:28.3498 48:44.5496 49:08.2688 24 laps 23 laps 18 laps 17 laps 10 laps 6 laps 5 laps 3 laps 2 laps 2 laps 2 laps

1:45.9321 6 1:45.3325- 6 1:46.2099 16 1:46.4633 17 1:46.4829 5 1:46.0181 5 1:46.3644 6 1:46.4709 5 1:46.4840 6 1:46.4662 16 1:46.5061 17 1:46.7456 19 1:45.8320 20 1:46.8864 21 1:46.9028 21 1:45.4413 5 1:46.9741 5 1:46.8789 5 1:46.0577 5 1:47.0876 18 1:46.1712 5 1:46.2328 19 1:46.8250 15 1:46.0138 22 1:46.8958 17 1:49.0033 5 1:49.2771 5 1:47.5616 4 1:50.4264 5 1:49.8608 4 1:52.7624 2 2:00.8966 2 1:53.7055 2 2:08.0406 2

1:38:00.2749 1:38:02.0925 1:38:02.4219 1:38:05.0714 1:38:08.1179 1:38:12.2093 1:38:12.6295 1:38:19.2264 1:38:19.3438 1:38:20.6279 1:38:21.2196 1:38:27.9447 1:38:28.7701 1:38:29.5630 1:38:29.8380 1:38:30.2768 1:38:35.4877 1:38:37.3643 1:38:51.0568 49 laps 49 laps 49 laps 48 laps 48 laps 45 laps 44 laps 43 laps 42 laps 39 taps 33 laps 19 laps 19 laps 15 laps

1:44.5262* 4 1:45.6235 12 1:44.8973 14 1:45.7896 9 1:45.5596 9 1:46.4258 42 1:45.8477 7 1:45.5249 32 1:44.8225 7 1:45.5096 7 1:45.8614 13 1:45.5984 9 1:46.4169 32 1:46.2525 32 1:46.5434 10 1:46.9552 46 1:45.8247 46 1:46.5277 31 1:46.1483 7 1:45.6125 11 1:46.4589 4 1:48.2272 29 1:46.7961 9 1:47.4125 6 1:46.2814 45 1:45.7610 13 1:46.3832 32 1:46.6921 9 1:46.6217 19 1:46.0427 8 1:45.6849 4 1:45.6801 7 1:46.0993 15

47

Canberra 400 That let The Toddler into second, but he would have a chance at Skaife when Ellery slid into the Exide tyres and prompted another Safety Car. But Kelly lacked the car speed for a challenge and had Lowndes all over him, with Murphy (from the very back!) closing fast.

But, that is how they finished.

Only Lowndes and Murphy had

novotei

Look, no marks: Yet. Glenn Seton had a tough weekend.

Team Brock leads HRT! Not yet they don’t, but Baird did show some form in the TB car.

(Photos by James Smith and Dirk Klynsmilh)

Enforced on the final lap.

The other Fords? A bit more bangage, I am afraid. Weel and Larkham tangled, McLean had a puncture, Seton got hit by two other cars while trying to avoid a spinning Bargwanna, Wilson got crunched (after he punted Bargwanna) and Longhurst lost a front-left wheel. Not quite as dramatic as Race 2, but not good ...

So Skaife conquered Canberra.

He may not be the most popular man in the series, but John Howard is not the most popular man in politics and he seems to go alright.

Perth beckons. Radisich dominated the place last year. A

inmnanagHiitr

continued from page 47

lllBi43l£uZiw£^3*I)

behind Skaife by now)and, once Bright snuck past the Kmart car, the battle between the two Bathurst-winning co-drivers commenced.

But not before an interlude: Ambrose gave Brighty a belt in the boot as soon as the HRT rejoined.

On cold tyres on a cold day, Marcos was caught a little unawares by Bright’s braking and rammed the VX, causing major damage to the Pirtek car, which lost a lap while it was cut and shut. He resumed a lap down with little loss of car speed, but it was too late.

The battle for second joined that for first when a Safety Car appeared with Wayne Wakefield stuck at Turn 1, but a good restart carried Skaife to temporary safety - and that became permanent when Richo and Bright had it end in tears on lap 33.

To be blunt. Bright got overambitious at Turn 1, lost the rear under brakes and punted Richo off.

The Castrol car resumed ninth;

Bright was 14th. The other was around, and Jason would have got a drive-through penalty.

“There wasn’t much he could say,” reported Richo later.‘We were catching Skaifey at the time, he got into me and whack.”

speed to challenge Skaife and neither got a chance to show it behind Kelly.

And the Fords? Besnard was fifth, Johnson sixth from a closing Bowe, with Richo, Bright and Ingall next, Jason Richards getting

IXnBBBi

return to form in 2002 would be timely.

The championship may, on paper, look like it is over. Skaife can’t keep doing this. He cannot keep dodging the bullets forever.

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FORMULA FORD

Whincup's capital gains

by MARK GLENDENNING

NOT even the uncertainties of a new circuit could stop Sonic Motorsport’s Jamie Whincnp from further extending his lead in the Ford Racing Australian Formula Ford Championship on the streets of Canberra last weekend.

Whincup scored maximum points for the weekend, claiming pole and two unchallenged wins in his Van Diemen RFOl around the narrow track.

Earning a spot on the other steps of the podium was much harder work though, with both races featuring tight battles for the minor placings.

A sensational race one start from Ash Lowe slotted the Spectrum 07 into battle with Marcus Marshall(Van Diemen RFOl), Mark Winterbottom, and Neil McFadyen’s Van Diemen RF94.

Marshall withstood early pressure from Lowe before putting the foot down and leaving the others to sort themselves out. By the time he reached the flag, he had consolidated Sonic’s one-two finish with a 1.3s gap.

Things weren’t going so well elsewhere in the Sonic camp though, with Barton Mawer smacking the wall and causing sufficient damage to put him out of action for the rest of the weekend.

A closely-fought battle for third was decided when a small error by Lowe proved to be just enough to allow McFadyen to slingshot past.

Winterbottom followed suit

Street fighting: Whincup leads team-mate Marshall en route to a clean sweep in Canberra, above.

Mark Winterbottom, right, again carried the flag in the battle against the Sonic team.

(Pholos by Dirk Klynsmitn))

shortly after, but not even a hugely brave lunge around the outside of McFadyen at VB Corner was going to help the Bosch Batteries Spectrum 09 onto the podium, and he was forced to settle for fourth.

The second race was increased from a seven to an eigth lapper after an early Safety Car period.

While Whincup disappeared into the distance, Marshall had his mirrors filled with the Bosch Spectrum.

In a battle reminiscent of thenencounter at Phillip Island a few weeks back, the pair ran around together as if on rails before

Winterbottom made another banzai move under braking at the Canberra Complex to take second place.

An error shortly afterwards gave Marshall a sniff of a chance to

will barely have unpacked their Canberra thermals before it’s time to dig out the t-shirts and begin the long drive west to Barbagallo later this month for round five.

reclaim his position, but Winterbottom closed the door.

The Formula Ford contingent

Points; Jamie Whincup 114, Marcus Marshall 94, Mark Winterbottom 88, Neil McFadyen 54, Barton Mawer 52.

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49

FORMULA ONE

Ferrari's 150th

the Canadian Grand Michael Prix toSchumacher give Ferrari won its 150th Grand Prix victory and, when all was said and done, there was no argument that Ferrari had done it again.

Juan Pablo Montoya tried to beat Michael Schumacher, but his twostop strategy was not as quick as the one-stop, even though Montoya lost very little time by stopping when a Safety Car came out after 14 laps. Montoya dived into the pits and was on his way again in fifth place.

He might have been stuck there but for a mistake by Kind Raikkonen that delayed Ralf Schumacher and allowed Montoya to jump them both at the same time. But, even with that, it was not enough to beat Michael.

When Montoya came in for his second stop he was only 12 seconds ahead of Michael. A pit stop needed half a minute.

A few laps later Montoya went out with a BMW engine failure and that was that. Could he have challenged Michael in the closing laps? We will never know.

One could argue that Michael was marginal on fuel and would not have been able to hold off the surging Montoya. The evidence was perhaps there as Michael backed off in the closing laps and let a gap of 21 seconds fade away to almost nothing by the time the chequered flag was shown.

Michael sayingshrugged that therethis wasoff, no need to push,so he did not push.

But let us not disguise the facts.

This was a Ferrari massacre another one. And there was no real secret to it. Sustained pace and consistent driving took Michael Schumacher to victory. Ferrari did it right.

At the start, it did not look that good. Montoya took off perfectly. In fact the start looked better than it was because those on the righthand side of the grid were struggling in the dust.

Michael Schumacher was beaten into the first comer by Rubens Barrichello, and Giancarlo Fisichella (sixth on the grid)found himself behind David Coulthard and Nick Heidfeld.

It was clear very quickly that Barrichello was on a two-stop strategy, but Montoya hung on to 12 June 2002

Michael Schumacher did it again in Canada, thanks to a one-stop strategy and a late BMW engine failure for Juan Montoya. Joe Saward reports on Ferrari’s historic 150th Grand Prix victory

n

v,f Jr*,.

him and that suggested after a few laps that he must be following the same plan (or one quite like it).

Michael dropped gradually away and so it was safe to presume that he was on a one-stop and the rest of them were a long way behind.

In Canada, two-stop strategies are very dangerous because there has long been a tendency for the race to be disrapted by accidents and Safety Cars. And so it was again.

On lap nine, Jacques Villeneuve’s BAR-Honda ground to a halt at the start of the main straight. The car was off the line and the drivers knew where it was, but Formula 1 long ago learned that one cannot leave cars sitting around on the race track.

In 1980 at Long Beach, the continued on page 53

Celebration time: The Ferrari team gathers below the podium to cele brate an historic milestone for Maranello, something the men in red are now quite used to. This time, their race was not marred by disputes over team orders, to the relief of fans who booed the team and flew banners (below) that made their feelings quite clear...

(Photos by Sutton Images)

Monty’s flying circus the lie de Notre Dame In The CircuitisGilles Villeneuve Montreal a track where on horsepower and good brakes are key elements to success.

But perhaps even more Important is the ability of the cars to ride the kerbs. Carrying speed through the comers is vital for a quick lap. Traffic can be very disruptive and the track conditions are constantly changing - often with the weather.

On paper the best cars for the Montreal circuit would be the Williams-BMWs, which have enormous horsepower and ride the kerbs better than the other cars.

Michelin has recently been much closer to the pace of the Bridgestones as the French tyre company has begun to take more risks in order to get better results.

Most of the teams decided to wait a little as usual because when noone had run on the track for some time, the surface was particularly slippery. It made a big difference.

Williams decided to H owever, send Juan Pablo Montoya and

Ralf Schumacher out early to get some lap times in the bag just in case it did rain. The Williams weather forecasters had predicted rain just 15 minutes into the session and at that point of the session the cars were 1-2 on the grid.

However, the rain did not come quite on schedule and as the track speeded up so others managed to scramble around with quicker laps.

Ralf was bumped backwards

by Kimi Raikkonen, David Coulthard, Giancarlo Fisichella and Jarno Trulli. And then after 22 minutes the two Ferraris came out and suddenly Montoya was down in third place and Schumacher was on the pole by over a second. It looked good, but everyone knew it would not last long.

Within five minutes the two Williams-BMWs were out on their second runs and, as a graphic illustration that the track was quicker, so too were the blue and white cars, with Montoya re taking pole position and Ralf jumping back up to second place.

It was at that point that Takuma Sato’s Jordan-Honda blew up with such an impressive force that they could have probably read the smoke signals back in Tokyo: Sato also left a lot of oil on the road. And that meant that performances plateaued.

Barrichello and Schumacher took it in turns to be second to Montoya, 52

but it never really looked like the Colombian was going to be beaten.

Rubens pushed hard and spun and then Spots of rain began to fall with seven minutes to go and the chance of a proper showdbwn was spoiled.

There were a few exciting moments because the track was not that wet, but it was just enough to make improvement impossible. The session ended with Coulthard giving it a last-minute charge and spinning half way around the lap.

It was all a bit of an anti-climax. ontoya was delighted to be on M pole for the second consecutive race:

most places, but over the kerbs of Montreal the Williams was betterat least in qualifying trim. The Ferraris looked a lot more nervous.

We have not often-s^n'MiBhael smacklhg ’wails11!iis^^ar,TBut we saw :Eo,riiiilrjdayTlili Mbhtreal.

■BSfridhello also hit the wall, on Saturday morning (and gave it a good solid thump), and so spent the rest of the day trying to catch up the time he had lost. This was probably behind the spin on his third run in qualifying. In the circumstances, third fastest was a pretty good effort.

The McLarens looked “It was quite strange," he twitchy over the kerbsdecidedly and the explained. “Everyone was standing long straights highlighted the on the pit wall and I was in my car disadvantages of those who are a straight away and said: Are we little bit down on power. The drivers going? Because no-one had: been, said the usual diplomatic things on the track. It was a bit weird, but in about the car not being suited to the circuit but in decoded form this the end everything went well. If we had really put all the sectors together meant that the engines were not pushing out the grunt required. 'Kimi we_could have gone a bit quicker.”

Things were not quite as easy for Raikkonen qualifiepLfifth and David Coulthard was, eighth.

Ralf because;hejDadiproblems with the pneumatic system of the-engine _ „ that~gi^nQti0Qjg^ry good-for and had to switch tothe frcar, which- ‘^®©?!but.thefe’were reasons for the was set up for Montoya. gap. There was traffic on his first run, 'There was no way I could airh for " Sato% engine blow-up on the second and then the rain came pole position," Ralf admitted. He when he set off on his third. It ended ended up fourth fastest behind Monty andrthe twcrFerrariswith a spinrSo,-he'said, he was not

“f am a-little-disappointelMSflw have been able to tight for poIe“" position at the end of the session,” Michael said. ‘We might have been able to get pole. If you look at my sector times you will see that we were very close but just did not get it all together. I was optimistic for my last run - but then the rain came."

Barrichello’s third place was quite an effort, given the fact that he had had a crash in the morning session.

What was very clear was that the Ferrari might be a great racing car at

'anffwherernear^niieRBiBieBelilMtffi ‘tTave^hievedr^==^^ - Fifth on the grid was quite a surprise in the form of Giancarlo Fisichella in his Jordan-Honda. The Honda men had a rather better engine on hand than people would have you believe, even if it was not the much-heralded new specification which Honda has long been promising.

Fisichella was happy with what was the team’s best qualifying performance of the year:

“It was more than I expected," he admitted.

Sato was (as usual) less fortunate. He was going quite wolf ^ until his Honda let go in migh^ ' fashion and after a cross country run he went into the T-car, which was, naturally, set up for Fisichella. The car was switched to Sato% spec but by the time it was all done the rain had come and Sato ended up 15th.

A fraction slower than Fisi was Nick Heidfeld in the Sauber. The German reckoned that he could easily have been sixth if he had not gone the wrong way with a change to the car on his third run.

Massa in the other Sauber had a . string of problems and incidents and still ended up 12th.

Looking a bit stronger than of late was BAR. In part this was doWn to,': the Honda engine, but the BAR f . engineers also bad a completely ^ new aerodynamic package.

■ f The team stilt has a Iting way'tb’. ■ . go, but these are the first signis-^ ● the new technical: staff thai'iffn^jhng place. Jacques Villeneuve'r^kon^lSf that he might hawe’;^bne’4vbn''botter^ on his final run but.an engine ' problem spun him off before he could deliver the gpods.jHOwever, ninth on; the.gr®was{i00:d!^iiyierc\^ Panis was 11th~ a'hd;

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none mm a wall in the middle of quali^ihg> = went to the T-caT (Which, was'-set^ for Jenson Button) and ended'up 10th-en-the-gridwvhile-Butloi3-was __ 13th, struggling with his brakes.

There were signs of progress (finally) at Jaguar, though the new aerodynamic package is still not ready. But Cosworth had a new, improved engine that helped Eddie Irvine qualified 14th with Pedro de la Rosa 16th.

■ ■T

-4

FORMULA ONE continued from page 51

Canadian Gi ll lid Pii.\

Juno 8 ^)ll: Qualifying Session Classification

Q J P Montoj

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BMW WiHiamsFl Team 1:12.836

Scuderia Kcrrnri Mnriboro 1:13.018 +0.182

!R Barrichello

Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro 1:13.280 +0.444 racher BMW Willi.-imsM Team 1:13.301 +0.4h5

'IS^SSBS

West Mcl^rcn Mercedes 1:13.898 + 1.062 FIsichella DHL Jordan Honda 1:14.132 + 1.29f» N Heidfeld Souber Pclronas 1:14.139 + 1.30.1 D Coulthard West McLaren Mercedes 1:14.385 + 1.549

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t F Massa

Saiibcr Petronas 1:14.823 + 1.987 Mil .Seven RcMinult FI Team 1:14.854 +2.018 In E Irvine Jaguar Racing 1:14.882 + 2.046

DHL Jordan Honda 1:14.940 +2.I04 Jagitnr Racing 1:15.089 + 2.253 I E Bemoldi Orange Arrows 1:15.102 +2.266'

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Panasonic Toyota Racing 1:15.111 +2.275 Orange Arrows 1:15.115 +2.279 A McNIsh Panasonic Toyota Racing 1:15.321 +2.485 M Webber KL Minardi Asiaicch 1:15.508 + 2.072

s

A Yoong .KL Minardi Asiaicch 1:17.347 '+4.511 '

Arrows was nowhere near the pace it has been in recent races with Enrique Bernoldi quaiifying 17th and; Heinz^HaraldiFrentzeg^ liSthi The; t^m^lameolieiKilianaMniijaandlina. ligRjl

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Mixing'ifwilhiithe*ATirejwe-w6rewS Tbyotas, which' aieolboked:' Mhlfigilike the cars we saw in ■^qnaco. Both drivers complained of ^●^handling problems.

At the back, as usual, were the two Minardis, with Mark Webber once again putting in a strong, effort for Paul Stoddart’s little team and blitzing Alex Yoong by a large margin (in this case 1.8s). Yoong was close to not qualifying.

Webber was almost two-tenths slower than McNish but reckoned he had got the most possible out of the car while Yoong's efforts were not helped by a gearbox problem.

5 ®

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Ensign of Clay Regazzoni suffered a brake failure and crashed at the end of the main straight. It ran into an abandoned Brabham and was launched into the air. It landed on a concrete barrier and Regazzoni suffered spinal injuries.

The sport learned from that lesson and so one cannot complain about the Safety Car in Canada. It was a necessary evil. Ifthe marshals had been able to move the car, it was not a problem, but the BAR would not budge, which would seem to suggest that the “shut down” that the Honda people suggested had stopped the engine was a rather more complicated failure.

Whatever the case, after several laps the Safety Car was sent out and those on a two-stop strategy were screwed. The best thing to do was to make the most of it and dive into the pits and get one stop out of way without losing too much time.

Montoya did it, but Barrichello did not. ubens later said that he adioed the Ferrari pit and asked them what to do, but he got no reply. And, as going into the pits without a radio call was too great a risk, he kept going.

That was really the end of any hope that he had of victory. After the scandal ofAustria, Ferrari is under the microscope and so any suggestion that this was another version of team orders to take Barrichello out of the equation was one theory which was put fonvard in the Press Centre.

More often than not, a conspiracy is just a mistake and there ai-e no dark motives involved. But no one seemed to be able to e.xplain why Rubens did not come in ... least of all the man himself.

The outcome of this was that all the advantages of a two-stop strategy disappeared and at the start of lap 18 Barrichello had to tiy to start again and build a lead.

He gave it a go and was five seconds clear of Michael by the time he stopped on lap 26. Then he tumbled back to sixth place and there he stayed until the mid-race stops came along and he moved back up to second place.

His second stop dropped him behind Coulthard and, try as he might, he could not pass the McLaren.

continued on page 54

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To support my university studies I have been working as a Sales : Consultant for 18 months and modelling. I really enjoy my modelling i because you are always in different locations doing completely different jobs.

I have had singing lessons for the past year and after I move to Queensland I want to continue with my singing lessons as well as take up acting classes. Ultimately I would like to work foil time as a singer and I would also like to write my own songs.

I am excited about moving to Queensland because it is a fantastic place to get fit I am now walking and going to the gym. I will start running and I also want to take up tennis and dancing when I get there.

I have travelled to America, Europe and England with my family and would love to visit Africa sometime soon to see the animals in the wild.

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Canadian GP

Bum’s rush; While David Coulthard had another fine result, Ferrari’s supporters again drew the attention of our snappers...

He tried on lap 60, pulling alongside the McLaren as they came down towards the chicane. Barrichello braked first, but seeing DC going ahead he lifted off again, hoping to be able to hold the comer.

DC went ahead and overshot the comer, but Barrichello, too, was imable to slow his car enough and followed Coulthard across the chicane. As no one gained an advantage and both men had been in the wrong, no punishment was necessary.

“There is no point arguing now,” said Barrichello. “If you put a wall there I am sure that we would both have made the comer.”

After that, Barrichello was unable to challenge

again and so Coulthard took an unexpected second place and Bamchello had to make do with third.

Montoya wouldbut have been ahead of the pair of them, his engine failed and his race was over.

“I was closing the gap to Michael and with 13 laps to go I was catching him quickly. He was straggling. Suddenly I felt a loss of power and that was it.”

With Montoya out of the way, Kimi Raikkonen moved up into fourth place.

For the early part of the race he was ahead of Coulthard and Ralf Schumacher, but a problem

(Photos by Sutton Images)

with the refuelling meant that he went out without enough fuel to run flat out to the end and had to hack off a little to conserve fuel. That meant that when Coulthard pitted four laps later he was able to get out ahead of Kimi and that was the end ofthe story.

Half should have been up there somewhere, too, but early on he was stuck behind Raikkonen.

The pair ofthem then stumbled and allowed Montoya to pass them after his early stop and so Ralffound himself back in fifth again.

This became fourth when Barrichello pitted, but any chance Ralf had of making progress disappeared on lap 42 when he pitted. The refuelling machine went wrong and Ralf had to

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FORMULA ONE

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Michael Schumacher

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^ 3[Rubens Barrichello 4 KImi Raikkonen iancarlo Fisichella S 6 .Jarno Trulii Ralf Schumacher f 5 8 Olivier Panis 9 Felipe Massa 10 Takuma Sato 113lark Webber 12 Nick Heidfeld 13|Jleinz-Harald Frentzen

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Drivers’ Points; M. Schumacher 70, R. Schumacher and Montoya 27, Coulthard 26, , Barrichello 16. Button 8, Raikkonen 7. Fisichella 6, Heidfeld 5. Trulli 4, Irvine and Massa 3. Webber.

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Constoictors’ Points: Ferrari 86. Williams/BMW 54, McLaren/Mercedes 33. Renault 12.

Sauber/Petronas 8. Jordan/Honda 6.

Jaguar/Cosworth 3. Minardi/Aslatech, Toyota and

high.

This meant that neither Williams scored and

so it gave others the opportunity to grab points.

Giancarlo Fisichella was there to make the most of the lapses of others to give Jordan its third fifth place. Takuma Sato also drove a strong race and finished a confidence-building 10th.

The final point went to Jarno Trulli, was once again in the right place atwho the right time, holding off Ralf Schumacher in the closing laps.

Button was less fortunate on this occasion and had to pit earlier than planned to have his radiators cleaned up as his temperatures were rising. He retired later with an engine problem.

Seventh place went to Olivier Panis in the BAR-Honda, who held off Felipe Massa in the closing laps. He started 11th on a one-stop strategy and lost a number of places earlier on as 12 Juno 2002

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return to the pits a couple of laps later.

That dumped him down to 10th place and he was only able to move back to seventh as others ran into trouble. He was pretty lucky to get that

H H □

lighter cars were able to get ahead, but the tactics worked in the end. It was something for BAR - but not much.

Sauber’s day was a disaster. There should have been points for Nick Heidfeld, but there was a glitch in the Sauher software on the pitlane speed limiter and so both drivers were given drive-through penalties after their pit stops.

Heidfeld then accelerated too much for a second time and was given a stop-go penalty. By the time that was all over, he was 12th. Massa was eighth.

Both Minardis made it to the finish and Mark Webber again did a sterling job to bring his car home 11th.

Alex Yoong was 15th, his race hurt by a drivethrough penalty for pitlane speeding.

Arrows had a poor day. Frentzen finished 13th after losing time with a refuelling problem but he was never really in the hunt.

Bemoldi went out early when there was a problem with his right rear wheel after an early pit stop.

Jaguar and Ibyota both failed to get a car home.

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Canadian GP

What the drivers said

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Comments from the post-race press conference

Q: Michael, 150th Grand Prix win for Ferrari, your fifth here in Montreal, it's quite a day really.

MS: Yeah, yeah. You can obviously call it a very good day in all respects, in every way you look at it, very fortunate.

to be on the podium today after everyone said that Monaco was just a one-off result?

DC: Honestly, no, I didn't think in a straight fight we would be on the podium, but obviously lots of things can happen in racing.

Early on, 1 was struggling a little bit with oversteer and just before the safety car came out I'd ran wide into turn two and ran off the circuit and lost a second, so I thought now is the time to be cautious. That gave me the opportunity to save the brakes a little and that was an issue late in the race. I was able to push for the last ten laps before my stop and gain some advantage.

Q: At the start, did you expect Rubens to come past you quite the way he did?

MS: No, honestly no. I was hoping I would jump into the lead but... I knew that Rubens was on a two stop so I didn't want to make his life difficult and I let him go.

Q: A lot of mention has been made of the engine; was it an improved development here?

MS: We always develop the engine. It was nothing specifically different from the last race, at least. But it was doing very well.

/ i

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Frank exchange: David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello discuss their (Photo by Sutton Images) big moment after the race,

Q: David,talk us through the moments when you came up behind Takuma Sato and that allowed Rubens to attempt to overtake in the final chicane.

DC: Yes, obviously I thought Sato was going to let me through at the hairpin, but he

Q: David, were you expecting

Canadian Grand Prix June 9 2002 Grid Posttion/Driver

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; Nat Car

7

1 lJuan Pablo Montoya COL'Williamsil

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5 !Kimi Raikkonen 1

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8;David Coulthard

j'GBR McLarenli

9 Jacques Villeneuve CAN BAR 10 Jarno Trulli

FRA BAR

12: Felipe Massa

IBFtA Sauber

13; Jenson Button 14|Eddie Irvine 15;Takuma Sato 16;Pedro De La Rosa

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RB: I was able to brake and make the corner, but when you see somebody going fast on the outside you want to let it happen. You just naturally come off the brakes, so I couldn't make the corner either. If you put a wall there. I'm sure we would both have made the corner.

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that's it, game over.

didn't so I was very slow coming out of there. In the run down to the last chicane, I know it was very marginal with Rubens and he's expressed that opinion and I've apologised for squeezing him, but I had to pull out of the slipstream from Sato and it was always going to be marginal for the last chicane. I took a gamble, didn't manage to make it, went through and was fully prepared to let Rubens past, had he made the chicane, but he hadn't. So

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motorsport news

FORMULA ONE

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nother pretty good weekend, another 11th place - our fourth. They can't say weTe not consistent!

Someone reminded us that David Campese's jersey number was 11. Shame Campo didn’t play in the front row!

In fact, the result in Canada was a good one for the team.

Montreal is a circuit which was never going to be one of our best - a lot of medium-speed downforce and a lot of full throttle, straight line grunt needed -so I was pleased to end up ahead of a couple of other cars at the end of the day.

While the turmoil over the future of Minardi goes on, Paul (Stoddart) has been doing a brilliant job of isolating the team from all the politics. No-one has their spirits down and the guys did the best possible job all weekend.

Other than basic car set-up, practice was really about making a tyre choice for us. Michelin had two realistic options and in the end we went for the harder rubber with the race in mind.

The softer option was definitely quicker and might have reaped a better qualifying result for us, but Michelin steered me towards the harder option as there was a question mark over possible blistering of the soft option in the race.

The key to set-up at this track is the kerbs. You have to catch them right and optimise how the car settles and puts the power down. There are no really quick corners, but a couple of big, hard brakes - especially the third chicane.

Qualifying was also pretty straightforward for once. I got a clear run, ending up 21st, just

12 June 2002

MARK WEBBER Canadia

oto's by Suttor

\ shy of Frentzen's Arrows and McNish's Toyota. It was simply the best we could do here given our package - but my time was just 1.1 seconds away from DC's McLaren, so you can see the progress the team has actually been making.

“The race itself turned out to be uncomplicated and I had a pretty clear run throughout.

The launch electronics are now on the pace and I was able to have a bit of a go at the first couple of corners. I got Frentzen into turn one, then McNish into

"I don't think there will be much movement among the top teams at all, but my management team are looking at the options.H the next chicane, but once we hit some straight road, they just drove past me.

I hung onto them until the Safety Car, but for five or six laps after that the balance of the car wasn't so good. I think we simply lost too much rear tyre temp during the Safety Car period, but once that was restored the balance returned.

Our stop {we were always single-stopping) went well and our consistent pace got us ahead of a couple of cars, Nick Fleidfeld in particular, as the race wound out to the finish.

Paul was again, and rightly, pleased.

Both cars home and a good performance

was just what he needed as he goes into a critical week for the team. people have been asking how all the politics is affecting me.

There's nothing I can do to affect the outcome, so - especially over race weekend - I'm just putting it out of my mind and getting on with the job.

I'm also being asked about next year, too - the FI Silly Season is, after all, in full swing.

Personally, I don't think there will be much movement among the top teams at all, but my management team are looking at the options. All I can do is continue to do the best job I can and let them worry about all that.

From here. I'm going down to Indianapolis to do a bit of pre-US Grand Prix promotion for Foster's and the GP promoters themselves. Then it's home for a few days before we head to the Nurburgring.

PS: With no Australia in the World Cup, my 'adopted'team is Italy - this is Minardi, after all.

Looking good...

57

2002 ^CdStrOl /Winternationals Rocket Industries team Andrew and the eliveredCowin their promise to the capacity crowd at the 35th annual Castrol Winternationals on Saturday night, with an awesome 4.75 second pass, at a blistering 314.46 mph,to smash both the current Australian best times for the Top Fuel class.

Jim Read also shared the limelight on this pass, going 4.90 at 295.67 in the other lane to record the first side-by-side four second pass ever seen in this country, earning a standing ovation from the shell-shocked crowd.

Amazingly, Cowin went on to take his first ever win in the bracket, lining up for the final against who else but Read.

In other Group One results, Wayne Newby gi-abbed a welldeserved win in the Top Alcohol class, as well as snaring his first National Championship, while Jay Watson celebrated his birthday in fine style, taking the honours in the Pro Stock class.

Cowin’s pre-event promise to top the current best times for the class eventuated on his second qualif3dng attempt for the Castrol Formula R Top Fuel bracket.

His first attempt saw the Cowin family ‘Rocketship’ overpower the track, get loose, and shut off before half track. The tune-up was backed down a bit for his record-setting 4.75 on Saturday night,just to get a baseline to go by.

Unfortunately, rain robbed everybody of a chance of seeing a

quicker time on Saturday night, when the heavens opened up at around 6.00 pm, midway through qualifying for Hogs Breath Cafe Top Doorslammer.

In the stongest field for several years. Cowin and Read were the only two to go into the fours. Terry Sainty was best of the rest in qualifying, going 5.72 at 174 mph.

The first round of eliminations saw Cowin on a bye, going 4.80 at only 252 mph after torching a head gasket late in the run. Read disposed of a blower-banging Roy Smith in the next pairing with a pedalling 5.77 at 209 mph. The track clean-up crew took a little while to mop up the shrapnel from Smith’s exploding supercharger.

Kirby took an early shut off win in the next race, when Darren DiFilippo, at the wheel of the Gary McGrath fueller, was shut down with a broken magneto drive.

‘Pommie’Steve Read won the last race of the first round, with a fireballing 6.44 proving good enough to defeat Terry Sainty.

Cowin faced Kirby in the first pairing of the second round, and took the win in a much closer race than many thought it would be.

Cowin shook the tyres again. pedalled it, and shut off early, still going 4.94 at only 247, after recording a half track speed of 256.

After recording an identical reaction time Kirby pushed all the way, but fell short when he kicked rods out on his losing 5.32 at 249.

The final pairing saw Jim Read, with backing from Gregory’s Automotive Publications for the final time, dispose of Steve Read in

Passing the baton: Jim Read, above and left, who posted Australia’s first 300mph run a couple of years ago, ran alongside Andrew Cowin to produce the country’s first side-by(Photos by Marshall Cass) side 4.0s pass.

motorspori news

DRAG RACING

Rocketship: Making a guest appearance from his fuil-time gig in the US Cowin, above and below, was in devastating form, taking around 11mph (Photos by Marshall Cass) off the nationai record with a 314.46mph pass.

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the Santo Rapisarda car with a 4.91 at 296, gaining lane choice over Cowin in the final.

The final saw Cowin again pedal it to take a 4.98 sec, 292 mph win over Read’s 5.52 at 217. Tommie’ Steve Read collected the national 12 June 2002

championship gold Christmas Tree for the bracket.

Top Doorslammer champion’ elect Peter Kapiris grabbed the top spot in qualifying with a 6.29 at 225 in the Kapiris Bros

‘Batmobile’’53 Studebaker.

Studebakers filled the top three spots, with Gary Phillips in his Lucas Oils car in second with a 6.31 at 218, followed by the Jack Daniels entry of Brett Stevens with a 6.32 at 223.

Victor Bray qualified his brandnew Castrol Formula R ’57 Chev in fourth spot with a 6.33 at 216.

Bray was denied a 6.21 on Saturday night after taking out every timer block on the centre line from the 330’ mark to the finish line.

Hitting the timer blocks caused some front end damage, but with help from Jeff Burnett the body was repaired in time for eliminations on Sunday.

Grant O’Rourke, driving the only Australian car in the field, held the bump spot, in his HK Monaro with his final attempt, a 6.50 at 222. His two previous attempts were thwarted due to a starter motor problem. Surprising non-qualifiers included Robin Judd, Les Winter, and Andrew Searle.

Peter Kapiris put O’Rourke back continued on page 60 59

2002 ^CdStfOl /Winternationals continued from page 59 on the trailer after the first pairing in eliminations, with the quickest Doorslammer pass seen at Willowbank, going 6.08 at 232 to O’Rourke’s shut off 8.38 at 106.

Bray advanced to the next round with his quickest pass in the new car, a 6.14 at 233 defeat of Kym Petterwood. The other two Studebakers of Phillips and Stevens also made it through to the next round with wins over Ben Bray and Dave Koop respectively.

Stevens then defeated Phillips to move to the final to face the winner of the Bray/Kapiris race, which was decided when Bray left way too early.

Kapiris’s car was stepped up for this one to try for the first five second Doorslammer pass, but overpowered the track, shook the tyres hard and shut off early.

A very bizarre final saw Kapiris’s car pop the blower burst psmel the instant he hit the throttle in the burnout. He was shut dovm,leaving Stevens on a solo for the win.

The Jack Daniels car had suffered a broken rear main seal in the engine in the semi, and Stevens simply idled up to the start line, accepted the green light, and idled down the track for the event win. Kapiris had already claimed the national championship prior to the event. the the Winternationals comes With highs of an event like the lows. Paul Shackleton experienced both in the Tasman Aviation Enterprises Top Alcohol bracket, when he qualified with the coimtiys qmckest ever Alcohol pass with a 5.64 at 240 mph, and then lost control of the car after

Down to earth with a crash; Paul Shackleton declared open season on the Australian Alcohol record with a (Photo by Marshall Cass) quickest-ever pass of 5.64/240mph, but lost control and rolled. Thankfully, he was not hurt, violent t}Te shake in the first round of eliminations.

Shackleton’s dragster hit the concrete wall and rolled, but thankfully he emerged free of serious injury.

Wa3me Newby took all the honours after recording his first pass in the 5.6 second zone in qualifying. He then went on to record the quickest and fastest pass ever, for the class with his 5.61 second, 249.86 mph second round pass, to defeat defending national champion, Gary Phillips.

Newby went on to take the event win over Steve Reed in the Reed Transport Oldsmobile Funny Car, after running repairs by Ambulance staff at the bottom end of the track.

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meeting on June 2nd.

Wedlock recorded a 7.47 to grab second spot on the qualifying list.

Denis Whiting has already run a string oflow 7.5 second passes and was ready to break into the forties as well.

Jay Watson also recorded a string oflow 7.5’s, but produced the fastest speed ever seen for the class with his 186.16 mph on his 7.55 qualifier.

It was birthday boy Jay Watson who exceeded everybody’s expectations, with his consistent 7.42, 7.43, and 7.43 wins over Joe Polito, Ridgeway, and Whiting in the final.

The final against Whiting produced the quickest side by side pass seen in Pro Stock, a 7.43 at

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Newby punched the air as a victory salute after taking the win in the semi final, and managed to dislocate his shoulder. The shoulder was put back in before returning to the pits. Newby also collected enough points to take his first National Championship.

Peter Ridgeway more or less had the championship in the bag in Travelaire Tours Pro Stock bracket, and sounded an ominous warning to his rivals with his top qualifying 7.43 at 185 mph.

However, it was the three W’s, Wedlock, l^iting, and Watson, who were the ones to watch. Tony Wedlock recorded the first pass in the 40s for the class a week prior to the event, going 7.44, and 7.40 at the Winternats Warmup

A win is a win: If anybody was going to pick an unusual way to win the Top Doorslammer title, Brett Stevens would be the man. Unfortunately, his two-wheeled efforts were less successful.

(Photo by Marshall Cass) molorsDort nsws

DRAG RACING

The pain worth it! Wayne Newby, above, took out the Top Alcohol honours, secured the Championship In the process - and then dislocated his shoulder while celebrating!

The W factor: Jay Watson, above right, and Denis Whiting, right, faced off in the Pro Stock final.

(Photo by Marshall Cass) 183 to a 7.44 at 183.

eventGroup include Mark Ashelford Other One winners at the in the Morgan and Wacker Top Bike bracket, and Nevil Langley in Whales Motorcycle World Pro Bike.

Group Two winners included Ian Brown in Super Stock, Anthony

Selva in Competition, and Perry Mackie in Comp Bike.

Group Three and Four winners include Dave Ferricks in Modified, Ricky Steffens in Super Sedan, Gavin Hamilton in Super Street, Darrell Boekholt in Modified Bike, Dustin Byth in Junior Dragster, and Dwayne Gerdes in Super Gas.

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81

Happy as Larry

LARRY Dixon continued to dominate Top Fuel action on the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, as the tour rolled through Joliet, Illinois for the Chicagoland Dodge Dealers NHRA Nationals two weeks ago.

Dixon, right, stopped Kenny Bernstein in the fourth beer-brand final-round clash of the season, of which Dixon and his MiUer Lite coherts now enjoy a 3-1 advantage.

Dixon rocketed to a final round 4.58/319 to hold off the Budweiser Kin^s 4.62/317.

Dixon’s road to win number six of‘02 began with a 4.65/318 to

butjust slightly slower as he racked up 4.70/315,4.63/320, and 4.63/317 wins over Scott Weis, Andrew Cowin, and John Smith en route to his fifth final rornid of this year.

Worsham,below, defended his event title in Joliet with a final round 4.87/312 win over Scotty Cannon, who overpowered the track and lost traction. The Checker Schucks and Kragen Pontiac qualified fourth at 4.84/317 and disposed of Tommy Johnson Jr. in the opener, 4.85/310 to 4.91/311.

In round two, Worsham drove past John Force to take a 4.87/308 to 4.89/307 victory, despite having his parachute fully opened before the pair crossed the finish line.

In the semis, Worsham had to overcome a .449 to .531 starting line deficit to defeat current point leader, Gary Densham, 4.84/315 to 4.93, taking a narrow .004 nctory at the stripe.

Cannon recorded his best effort of the year at 4.80/319 to qualify second.

He advanced into his second career final round with Photo by David Ostaszewski 4.85/314, 4.84/320,

4.75/294 thumping of Japan’s Yuichi Oyama.

The run was not perfect, as just past the finish line, the supercharger exploded, scattering pieces in the shutdown area.

In round two, crew chief Dick LaHaie got Dixon back on track with a close 4.57/325 to 4.61/311 victory over Darrell Russell in a rematch of the Topeka final. Dixon nearly repeated the effort in the semis by taking a 4.59/320 to 4.68/313 win over Doug Herbert to send him into his astonishing ninth final round in 10 events.

Low qualifier Bernstein was as consistent as Dixon in eliminations.

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STAGECOACH

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and 4.86/316 wins over Dale Creasy Jr., Frank Pedregon and Tony Pedregon.

Bruce Allen became the first two-time winner in Pro Stock this season as he holeshot former NBA player, Tom Hammonds, in the final round, 6.88/199 to 6.86/199.

In Pro Stock Bike, Angelle Savoie recorded her quickest lap of the weekend in the final round at 7.13/185 to stop Antron Brown, who trailed at 7.20/183. It was Savoie’s second victory of the year and increased her lead in the POWERade point standings to 74 over Craig Treble.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

Same old song

THE IHRA series contested its fifth event on the schedule as the tour moved north into Canada for the Mopar Performance Nationals at the Grand Bend Motorplex last weekend.

Two familiar faces remained unstoppable as Clay Millican roared to his fifth-straight Top Fuel win and Jimmy Rector did likewise in Alcohol Funny Car. Millican was the low qualifier at 4.61/317, the quickest and fastest pass in Canadian drag racing history.

Fie stopped Vicki Fanning and Louie Allison, and then beat motored to an easy final round 4.86/301 as Paul Romine was up-in-smoke at the hit.

Ed Floover stopped the blown '63 Corvette of Mitch Stott to capture the victory in Pro Mod 62

as his final round 6.37/205 held off the engine-wounding 6.41/214 of Stott.

The Trussel Motorsports '63 Corvette had advanced to the final with prior round wins over Australian Troy Critchley, who tagged the guardrail during the first round pass, Ontario resident, Mark Neilson, and Quain Stott.

Pro Stock point leader Brian Gahm, pictured, used a final round 6.59/210 to stop the 6.61/211 of Jeff Dobbins in an all-Ford final round.

For the fourth consecutive final round meeting, Rector drove the Flolbrook Performance Camaro to a final round 5.83/239 to 5.91/237 victory over Dale Brand.

After qualifying number one at 5.84/240, Rector strung runs of 5.87/238, 5.85/240, and 5.90/239

to defeat Dave Miller, Terry McMillen, and Rob Atchison.

Doug Vancil rode the record holding Vance & Hines Nitro Harley to its second win of '02, stopping finalist Ray Price in the final round, 6.42/212 to a shut off 7.45/147.

A WEEK earlier, the raindelayed final eliminations from the AC Delco Nationals

returned to Virginia Motorsports Park.

Clay Millican and Jimmy Rector both racked up wins in their respective Top Fuel and Alcohol Funny Car classes. Fred Hahn took his first win of the year in Pro Mod, as did Steve Stordeur in Nitro Harley, and rookie Jeff Dobbins scored his first Pro Stock title.

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI motorsport news

DRAG RACING

Cowin goes Green

MIKE Green has replaced Todd Smith as crew chief on the Darrel Gwynn/Yankees Top Fuel Dragster driven by Andrew Cowin.

Green assumed his new duties immediately following the O’Reilly Nationals in Topeka, where Cowin was beaten in the first round for the ninth consecutive time.

Following the Topeka event, the team towed to the Ohio shop offormer crew chief Ken Veney.

While Veney didn’t change everything in the car,^ he did correct a number of things in an attempt to ^ get the team pointed back into the right direction, In Joliet, Cowin enjoyed his best outing since the season-opener in Pomona. ^ On Friday, Cowin posted a 4.74/310 followed by^ 4.66/313, following it up with a promising 4.67/308M on Saturday W In round one of eliminations, Cowin notched his first round win of the year, recording a 4.79/293 to / defeat Rhonda Hartman-Smith, but it was costly as' the Spirit of New York dragster trailed fire through the lights. / In rovmd two, Cowin smoked the tyres almost 1 immediately, allowing Kenny Bernstein to advance!/ - DAVID OSTASZEWSki

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Between 1997 and 2001, Sceizi had 25 Top Fuel wins in 38 final round appearances. For 2002 the teann elected to switch to Funny Car, and after seven inconsistent events followed by back-to-back DNQs, Sceizi gave up the seat to Bruce Server until a second car could be finished.

When problenns apparently emerged concerning the finish date for the new car, it was agreed that Sceizi would be released to pursue a drive elsewhere.

The rumour mill was working overtime in Joliet, with everything from Sceizi in a second Don Schumacher Top Fuel car to a third Don Schumacher Funny Car. There was also talk of him heading to the Force camp and the long-awaited Force Top Fueler - or how about part of a two-car '03 Top Fuel effort from Kenny Bernstein?

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI

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COULD a fourth Flopper be in the works for John Force?

It seems Ford wants another Mustang-draped body in the ranks, and there could be a semi-independent car and team heading Force’s way to join up with the ‘Stang posse ...

- DAVID OSTASZEWSKI 12 lune 2002

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63

WRC rule chs

JON THOMSON ONE of Finland’s greatest drivers, Timo Salonen, will return to the World Rally Championship in August to contest the Rally Finland in a 206 WRC. Salonen won the 1985 world title for Peugeot in a 205 T16, above, and came close to striking a deal to drive a 206 on home soil last year.

An agreement, backed by Peugeot, has now been reached and he will drive a customer-spec car prepared by semi-works team Bozian Racing.

Now aged 50, he will be aiming to improve on old sparring partner Markku Alen’s 16th place last August.

In his prime, Salonen won the 1000 Lakes in 1985 and 1986.

-JON THOMSON

Makinen keeps Kaj “ w

TOMMI Makinen will continue to be co-driven by Kaj Lindstrom at the upcoming Acropolis Rally and for some months to come, after it was announced that his regular partner, Risto Mannisenmaki, is not ready to return to competition.

According to a brief announcement on the Subaru website, Makinen’s Finnish co driver will not be returning “for the foreseeable future”.

Makinen took on Lindstrom as his new partner at the beginning of the season and won the opening round in Monte Carlo. Tommi is 64

not complaining about Mannisemaki’s delayed return, as he enjoys working with Lindstrom.

“Fve known Kaj for a while,” said Makinen. “It’s not possible to compare him and Risto Mannisemaki. They are both top professionals and good fun to work with.”

As yet, it is unknown when Mannisenmaki will be making his competitive return. Subaru is concerned that after fracturing a bone in his back in an accident during the Tour de Corse last year, he is not yet fi t enough to withstand another major accident.

-JON THOMSON

A FRESH look at outside assistance rules on WRC events is expected as a result of Marcus Gronholm's exclusion after winning the Rally of Argentina on stage times.

The Finnish Peugeot driver was thrown out before the finish ceremony for receiving advice from engineers and mechanics when his car was slow to restart for the final leg.

Peugeot had already been reprimanded for a similar offence earlier in the rally. Some teams maintain that the rule forbidding team personnel within a kilometre of a car outside a service area other than for specific purposes is clear, but they were unable to reach agreement at the latest meeting of the FIA World Rally Championship Commission.

All works teams had personnel in the area, as it is permitted to take a spare battery to the restart.

"The simplest preferred solution is to not have anybody there other than to drop the driver off," said Ford boss Malcolm Wilson.

"The spare battery could be placed into the car at final service the evening before. It helps in every way possible. You don't have to divert key people," said Wilson, "If you don't have regulations, people will abuse them," Mitsubishi Ralliart's Andrew Cowan said. "It's getting to the stage in World Championship rallying where it’s no holds barred.

I'm delighted they enforced the rule.

Gronholm's team-mate Richard Burns, top and above, has chimed into the debate and called on organisers to have a look at the rules and to consider changing some of them. Burns says there are just too many rules at present, and some of them are no longer relevant to the modern era of rallying.

Although when the Englishman lost his victory in Argentina, and said at the time "rules are rules" and graciously accepted the loss of the 10 points, he is now questioning the necessity of some of rally's rules.

"I can't start rewriting the rules because of what's happened to me," said the World Champion, "but equally, maybe we don't need stuff like that. I don't know where you draw the line.

"Regulations-wise, I think it's fair to say that somebody could get rid of half the rulebook for all the trouble it causes, more than actual fairness it provides." motorsDort news

RALLY NEWS

mges?

Singh wins: ... and celebrates on the podium with co-driver Oh. (Photos by Linear Photographic)

Singh, in the Rain MALAYSIAN Karamjit Singh in his Proton has put himself hack in contention for the Asia Pacific Rally Championship, taking a maximum 19 points in the second round,the 2002 Rally of New Caledonia.

It’s a girl thing

AN all-female team has joined the ranks of Australia's premier onemake rally Championship,the Clarion Proton Rally Trophy, which gets underway in Queensland next weekend.

Melbourne driver Penny Swan and her co-driver Stephanie Ferres will challenge the male teams in what is shaping as the most hard-fought Proton Rally Trophy in three years.

"I am really excited about running in the Clarion Proton Rally Trophy: it is a great way to get experience in the top level of rallying without spending a fortune," says Penny.

Following Rally Queensland, the Clarion Proton Rally Trophy moves on to Rally of South Australia on 13-14 July, Saxon Safari Rally on 10-11 August and winds up at the final round the Rally of Melbourne on 13-15 September.

-JON THOMSON

Singh had decided to run his Group A car after taking no points in Canberra and battling the hectic schedule ofjoint APRC and WRC programs. Singh also felt it necessary to use the more potent car to hold offfellow countryman and former team-mate Saladin Mazlin.

The New Caledonian event provided a stage for young Mazlin to prove he is quickly coming to grips with his powerful WRC Hyundai Accent and showed he cannot be far from an outright win.

In a rally of changing weather and contrasts, Singh was the

dominant force, leading from start to finish. Despite his solid win, Italian rival Nico Caldarola remains championship leader after another good drive to third in his Mitsubishi Lancer.

Best of the Aussie entries was the Stuart Warren/Daryl Judd Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, which took fifth behind the Evo "in of Alastair and Adrian Cavenagh.

The Championship moves from the warmth of New Caledonia to the freezing conditions of Rotorua in the centre of the New Zealand North Island for round three of the title.

-JON THOMSON

Results 2002 Rally New Caledonia Proton 1 Karamjit SIngh/Allen Oh Hyundai Accent 2 Saladin Mazlin/Jarry Freeman Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VII 3 Nico Caldarola/Giovanni Agnese Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI 4 Alastair Cavenagh/Adrian Cavenagh Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI 5 Stuart Warren/Daryl Judd Audi 6 Gael Lecerf/ Christian Robert Drivers Points; Calderola 20,Singh 19, Marian 13, Brian Green 6,Possum Bourno 5, Cavenagh 4,

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Jimmy goes Platinum IVIAFiTIN D CLARK watched as Jimmy Johnson dominated at Dover

SUPER rookie Jimmie Johnson totally obliterated the field on June 2 at the one-mile concrete paved Dover Speedway,leading 188 of the 400 circuits and holding off a fastapproaching Bill Elliott by 0.478 of a second.

"This is incredible," said an ecstatic Johnson, who fought through traffic fronn 10th after a stop with 40 laps to run.

"Everything is clicking right now, we’ll just enjoy the wave while it lasts."

After dominating - but not winning - The Winston and 600 at Charlotte in previous weeks, he has now lead the most laps and miles in 2002, plus has more poles and top 10 results than anyone on the tour.

Johnson is in elite company, in that he became only the third driver to win his first two races in 16 starts, joining Davey Allison and Dale Earnhardt Jr. "I looked like a baby coming into my pit," said Johnson comparing his stops at Dover to Charlotte, where he overshot his stall costing him the win.

The team elected not to pit on the final caution; "When that last caution came, out I was bummed out," said Johnson, "1 didn't think we could it pull it off."

Ricky Rudd lead 72 tours and was headed for a top three finish at the very least, but the Robert Yates team fitted four tyres on the final stop and left the right rear loose, leaving Rudd to re-pit with 11 laps to

Jim, Jimbo, Jimmy, Da Jim-meister: Whaiever you call him, Johnson was The Man at Dover. Ieadini> almost halfthe race to win in the Lowes Chevrolet. hviMit unOChrk)

run when running second and drop to 19th.

"It seems like we get these deals when we've got a chance to win," said a disappointed Rudd.

Dale Jarrett, Rudd’s stablemate, had a good showing, finishing fifth after leading 15 laps, recording only his second top five of the year.

The previous week's winner Mark Martin went from the penthouse to the outhouse, when while leading Steve Park and Ryan Newman tangled in front of him. Martin was unable to avoid the stopped Park Chevy and crumpled the front of his Roush Ford on lap 124 to finish 41st.

His nemesis, polesitter Matt Kenseth, fared no better, having to start at the rear thanks to an engine change.

Then he cut a right front tyre just past the halfway point, severely pancaking the side of his Taurus to finish 40th.

Newman recovered well and rallied to record a fourth placing, along with Ricky Craven who received substantial damage on pit road, but still finished seventh.

Sterling Marlin increased his points lead over the previous week, finishing 13th as Kenseth dropped from second to fifth and Martin from third to sixth, while Johnson's win moved him to the runner-up slot and his Hendrick team mate/co-owner Jeff Gordon to third after a sixth placed result.

Robby Gordon put up a good showing in eighth, his final race with his current crew (see separate story), while Bobby Hamilton gambled for fuel only on the final stop to finish ninth, his second top 10 of the season.

'.●fe. :*>

Final result: Johnson (Chevy), Elliott (Ford), J Burton (Ford), Newman (Ford), Jarrett(Ford), J Gordon (Chevy), Craven (Ford), R Gordon (Chevy), Hamilton (Chevy), Sadler (Ford).

Photo by Sutton-lmages

66

motorspon news

NASCAR Jack is back

Rudd

I

Ricky wrecks, Jarrett wins at Pocono

THE Richard Childress Racing crews of drivers Robby Gordon and NASCAR bad boy Kevin Harvick have switched between the two drivers.

Crew chief Kevin Hamlin will now work with Gordon, left, and Gil Martin will head up the Harvick team, which has struggled this year, especially since the problems arising from his one race suspension at Martinsville.

"We're making this move to help both teams and RCR," said Childress.

"Our performances this season have not been up to our expectations. We've made changes like this before and it worked, we're confident it will work again."

Roush Racing tried a similar thing over the off-season, swapping the crews of Mark Martin and Kurt Busch, and it appears to be working well.

Jeff Green's team will not be effected by the changes. Going into Dover, none of the RCR teams were in the top 20 in points.

- MARTIN D CLARK 12 June 2002

DALE Jarrett took the lead from his Robert Yates team mate Ricky Rudd with six laps to nm last Sunday, at the flat, 2.5 mile Pocono track, as Rudd slowed with right rear tyre problems for the second race in succession,finishing the race in 17th after slamming the wall when the tyre let go and ending the race imder caution.

It was Jarrett’s first win since New Hampshire in July of last year.

“It’s great to be here in victory lane,” said Jarrett,“but my team mate’s having some terrible luck right now. I don’t think I could have caught him, we were really equal.

It’s just really tough when you’re trying to ran down your team mate like that.”

“I don’t know that you can describe the disappointment,” commented a dejected Rudd post race. “I thought we were in great shape; D.J. wasn’t going to catch us, but I got a slow leak and flat tyre. I guess this is the third race in succession we’ve been in contention to win and had a problem.”

The race was set to end as a fuel strategy event, with eventual runner-up Mark Martin in the seat for the victory with some great fuel mileage from his Roush Ford, but the third caution flew for debris with 32 laps to ran.

‘The guys had done all their homework,” said Martin.“We were set to go on fuel mileage and then we had that mysterious debris caution. It was too bad, because we could have won the race under those corfditions, but to finish second was really awesome.”

Water seeped through the track following heavy rains in the Pocono

mountains the day before qualifying and put paid to all ontrack activities, wiping out qualifying and leaving the field to start in points order, with Sterling Marlin on pole. Following two brief practice sessions on Saturday, Rudd was moved to the rear when their Yates powerplant developed an internal oil leak and the team elected to change engines.

Mechanical woes,in the form of broken transmissions, bit Matt Kenseth and Ward Burton, while engine problems took out Terry Labonte, Todd Bodine, Kevin Harvick and the Dodges of Bill Elliott and two- time Pocono winner Jeremy Mayfield.

Ryan Newman looked strong early, but broke a fuel pump while leading and was then involved in a wi-eck with the fellow lapped car of Kurt Busch. Joe Nemechek, John Andretti and Mike Skinner were also involved in accidents during the race.

Jeff Gordon rallied late from almost a lap down to finish fifth after spinning on pit road during a green flag stop, while the rookie car he co-owns of Jimmie Johnson came home a strong third, the pair sandwiched between point rival Sterling Marlin.

- MARTIN D CLARK Final result; Jarrett(Ford), Martin (Ford), Johnson (Chevy), Marlin (Dodge),J Gordon (Chevy),J Burton (Ford),Stewart(Pontiac), Waltrip (Chevy),R Wallace (Ford),Blaney (Ford).

Points standings; Marlin 2064, Johnson 1928, J Gordon 1899, Martin 1852, R Wallace 1826, Stewart 1820,Kenseth 1794, Rudd 1728, J Burton 1706,Busch 1699.

Special delivery: Jarrett, above, took the points at Pocono but it was (Photos by Marlin D Clark an(j Sutton-Imagesl Rudd, above left, who should have won.

Jack Roush was a welcome returnee to Dover, the team owner flying himself to the racetrack. Roush was involved in a plane crash on April 19, almost losing his life when he hit power lines in an experimental plane. He was on crutches but in good spirits following surgery on his left leg. n At the pre-Dover driver and crew chiefs' meeting, NASCAR's Mike Helton warned teams that if any cars infringed the 51 inch legal height requirement during post-race inspection there would be severe fines and possible loss of the all important championship points or finishing positions. The move comes after Mark Martin's Charlotte-winning Ford was found to be one eighth of an inch below the limit due to settling springs during the 600-mile event. n After rumours circulated at Dover, Ricky Rudd said that he thinks Elliott Sadler will replace him next year in the Robert Yates-owned Texaco ride.

“I understand they have signed Elliott," said Rudd. "That's the rumour, but you're hearing too much right now to disregard that."

While Elliott has been granted a release from the Wood Brothers at season's end, he commented he has been in conversation with three teams regarding his future.

"I'm more close with one that the other two," he remarked.

Rudd is in the last of a three-year deal with Yates and indicated he would let Yates know his fate by July 15. He said that, in future, he would only sign one-year contracts with any team. n Matt Kenseth won the pole at Dover with a 154.934 mph lap, while Derrike Cope, Hermie Sadler and Randy Renfrew missed the field and Terry Labonte, Ryan Newman, Dave Blaney, Hut Stricklin, John Andretti, Steve Grissom and Todd Bodine took the provisional starting slots. Both Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch hit the inside retaining wall during their second qualifying laps, both cars damaged bad enough that they had to start at the rear of the field in back up cars. Busch had posted the fifth fastest time on his first lap.

Kenseth also moved to the rear at the start, his pole-winning engine developing problems in practice, while Jerry Nadeau (who qualified third) slapped the wall in practice and was also forced to the rear In a back-up Valvoline Pontiac. n C.F. Sauer Company and Dukes mayonnaise has decided to pull the plug on sponsoring veteran Junie Doniavey's struggling number 90 team effective following the Pocono race. Doniavey's regular driver Rick Mast continues to be out of action due to an unknown illness.

Hermie Sadler replaced the ailing Mast again at Pocono.

- MARTIN D CLARK 67

by WADE AUNGER WORLD Series Sprintcars could boast as many as seven rookies for the 2002/2003 Championship, and among them will be two yoxmg Sprintcar debutants who have no qualms at all about diving in the deep end of the pool.

Luke Dillon and Ken Sartori have much in common.

Both are second generation racers, both have a significant background in Formula 500’s and both have the racecraft to cause some serious headaches for the established stars if they get some clear track in front.

Dillon clearly has the F500 runs on the board with no less than three National titles under his belt, but Sartori has long been a front-runner in the F500’s around Claremont Speedway.

West Aussie Sartori has more Sprintcar experience than his South Aussie counterpart, but only in a 360ci sense.

Dillon has only a couple of shows to his name in the recentlyacquired ex-Brad Furr Sanmina Eagle.

The fact that neither has run an ‘open’Sprintcar in a field with any real depth is not of any real concern to the guys themselves.

Both are led by their experienced fathers.

Photo: Geoff Grade

Diving in the deep end Luke’s father Gary is widely recognised as the set-up guru behind Luke’s unbelievably fast pocket rocket in seasons gone by using technology that had the #1 car handling very much like a Sprintcar.

Ken’s father Garry is a wellknown Sprintcar racer from WA who pedalled around Claremont with a monstrously powerful Shaver Donovan for years.

New boys on the WSS block: Ex F500 champion Dillon will campaign the ex-Furr car (above). while Sartori (left) a F500 WA regular, has some Sprintcar miles under his belt.

Unlike the Dillons however, it’s Ken’s older brother Brett who wall wield the spanners while Garry oversees the operation.

Brett has spent the last few years in the USA crewing for Kenny and Dean Jacobs, along the way picking up some very useful information and know-how.

“Dad’s just ordered us two new Maxims,” smiles Ken,”we’ll use the Shaver as our main motor and look at leasing a spare.”

It might not be the racecars that turn the heads for the Sartori operation this year however.

Brad Furr’s Aussie crew chief Kim Buswell has built the Sartori boys a trailer that he believes “will be the envy of all other teams on the road this year.”

Add to that a

classic old Kenworth prime mover known as ‘Survivor’that has been given a major gold leaf birthday by Perth signwriter (and former champion Sedan star) Phil ‘Flyers’ Myers.

“Wait until you see this deal,” grins Buzzy,“it’s showpiece racing at it's finest.”

The DiUons too will not present a shabby operation.

“We’ve got a new gooseneck trailer organised,” says Gary,“and the car this year is going to look the part I promise.”

Certainly Master Dillon will not want for grunt when he presses the size nines to the firewall.

The Brad Furr Gaerte powered Eagle won two WSS main events last year and also blazed in a class field for the Warrnambool Classic.

“We don’t have any major expectations from Luke in his first year, we just want him to learn from the best, and the best race in World Series,” says Gary Dillon.

The Sartoris have a similar philosophy.

“I think the only way you get better is to race against guys who are the best at what they do.

“We’re taking Ken on the road because we’ve always wanted to do this, but we also feel it will make him a vastly better racer,” says Dad Garry.

The new Top 16 Tow Money system implemented by WSS this year has undoubtedly opened the door to a fresh new wave of contenders.

“There’s no doubt the new system makes it possible for teams like ours to get a taste of World Series,” concedes Ken Sartori.

“If we can stay in the top 16 we’ll get tow money but if we don't we’ll continue on anyway. We’ve always wanted to do this and we feel the time is right.” motorsport newt

i

SPEEDWAY

Farr to get Skip’s ride?

SINCE Skip Jackson’s recent shock announcement that he won’t be coming back to Australia this year,speculation has been rife over who will be filling the seat of the Shane Krikke-owned Toyota Genuine Parts Maxim.

Brooke Tatnell’s name has been bandied around, but here at MN we understand that a fellow Sydneysider Robbie Farr is the top pick to be named as Jackson’s replacement sometime in the next few weeks.

2002 PCR Track Champion Farr is tipped to trade in the weekly competition at his home track for some country kilometres with the World Series Sprintcar wizards.

Farr has been the stand-out driver at PCR for the last two years but he’s been keen to get back on the road and run with the national scene for some time.

Krikke has apparently had several enquiries from interested drivers but we would assume he’s primarily going to consider someone who can win the Championship for him.

Could Farr do that?

There has been no official word from any of the parties involved,

HOWIEBOY: Skip Jackson N: won't be coming Down Under this year

Phfito: iBren-Swanson

as

we

hear he might be looking at his options too. It is, after all, the Sprintcar silly season.

Swan Hill scores WSS round World Series Sprintcars wiU go Supersonic this year,conducting the penultimate round of the 2002/2003 Championship at Sonic Speedway in Swan HiU Victoria on Friday night, January 17,2003.

The 500m,20 metre wide clay oval will offer high speed racing and plentiful passing opportunities on it's debut as a WSS circuit the night before the final round is conducted at Speedway City.

Teams will then only have a short four hour drive after the Swan Hill round to Adelaide where they can begin preparations for the final.

The picturesque town of Swan Hill offers a multitude of quality hotels, motels, restaurants.

cinemas and shopping opportunities for travelling teams and fans alike, as well as one of Victoria's finest golf courses.

Located two hours north of Bendigo and just south of Mildura the Swan Hill venue is ideally located to draw spectators from two major Victorian centres.

Swan Hill Motorsport Club Secretary Mark Morrison says his Committee are very excited at the prospect of running a round of World Series Sprintcars.

“Our committee and our community will be right behind this. We are grateful for the opportunity to conduct a round of the premier Speedway Series in Australia and we'll be working

Max Dumesny Motorsport Australian Distributors for

Xoo$irr

2002 WORLD OF OUTLAWS SPRINTCAR SERIES Eldora Speedway June 1

1. Steve Kinser 2. Danny Lasoski 3. Brad Furr ^^ RACING TIRE 4. Stevie Smith For more information on Hoosier Drag and Speedway Tyres call: NSW;02 9679 1990 l Fax 02 9679 1187 5. Mark Kinser 6. Chad Kemenah VIQOS 9331 6477 l Fax 03 9331 7444 7. Craig Dollansky 5A-08 8332 0800 l Fax 08 8364 0296 12 ione 2002

tirelessly to make everyone's stay in Swan Hill a memorable one.”

The Swan Hill Club are busily building new clubrooms at the Pits end of the grounds and are also formulating a plan to best seat spectators on the back straight who would normally have parked their cars in that area and watched from there.

Media interest in the Championship heading to Swan Hill has already been significant with Network Ten and WIN TV in Bendigo each running news stories on the event.

We know this is the biggest opportunity our Speedway has had,” concedes Morrison,“we won't drop the ball.”

RACE dates for the 2002/03 World Series Sprintrcars have been released, although finalisation of some venues including the opening round - is still to be compileted.

The series will, however, finish in Adelaide, having contested a penultimate round at Swan Hill (see other story).

The dates, which are branded provisional Tor now. are: Rd 1 Saturday, Novrember 16, Rd 2 Saturday, Novsember 23, Rd 3 Saturday, Novtember 30, Rd 4 Saturday, December 7, Rd 5 Saturday, December 14, Rd 6 Thursday, December 26, Rd 7 Friday, December 27, Rd 8 Saturday, December 28, Rd 9 Monday, December 30, Rd 10 Wednesday, January 1, Rdll Friday, January 3, 2003 Rd 12 Saturday, January 4, Rd 13 Wednesday, January 8, Rd 14 Friday, January 17, Rd 15 Saturday, January 18

8. Randy Hannagan 9. Tim Shaffer 10. Paul McMahan 11. Donny Schatz 12. Joey Saldana 13. Dale Blaney 14. Johnny Herrera

15. Kraig Kinser 16. Kent Welters 17. Jac Haudenschild 18. Jeff Shepard 19. P J Chesson 20. Danny Smith

Standings to June 1 1.Danny Lasoski .. a.Steve Kinser .... a.Mark Kinser ....

4.Craig Dollansky . .

S.Joey Saldana .. . e.Tim Shaffer 7.Donny Schatz .. .

8.Stevie Smith ....

9.Brad Furr lO.Randy Hannagan

.3933 .3916 ,3781 .3777 .3735 .3693 .3657 .3645 .3609 .3406

69

i*i

■M

itiiK inree wet years,

Athe Austin 7 Club was due for a change of

weather for the 26th running of its popular Historic Winton meeting on May 25-26. And

what a change!

Glorious conditions prevailed, and a bumper crowd was on hand to see more than 280 historic cars

and an impressive lineup of vintage and classic motorcycles.

Included in the field was regular

me laiDot L,ago, witn Lrranam

Raper (1948 Ford Monoskate) just failing to catch Jim Russell’s Ford V8 Spl. at the chequered flag.

Giddings also scored fastest lap time in both scratch races in a

consistent performance, while Raper had some consolation in winning the handicap.

The Col. Arthur Waite Trophy for the first Austin 7 to finish went

to Basil van Dongen, driving Trevor Cole’s well-used special.

When it was time for the Group

visitor from the USA, Peter Giddings, on this occasion with his 1950 Talbot Lago. Also from America and taking part for the

Lb sports and racing cars, no one could catch the flying 1959 Mildren Cooper of Dick Willis.

first time was Dean Butler -with two famous Maseratis. His 1930

Currently the outstanding Lb open wheeler, it was easily the quickest

26M, the ex-Tim Birkin, Whitney Straight car, possibly the most famous Grand Prix Maserati of

them all, was driven by Butler’s colleague Edward Cottam, who shared the drives with local VHRR members Ian Tate and John Caffin.

Butler drove his other Maserati,

in practice and then dominated

both days of racing.

Willis faced some spirited opposition from South Australian

Fred Greeneklee’s llOOcc Cooper JAP, although a problem sidelined the smaller car in their second encounter. This allowed the

Holden of David Reid to take the

finished fifth in the 1939 Italian GP. The 8CTF also ran six times in

minor placing.

the Indianapolis 500, its best result being a fourth in the 1946 race driven by Emil Andres. Today it sports its Indy 500 livery.

at Winton was Grant Gibson’s

went from peacock to feather duster. His 1936 MG TA won

Saturday’s Keith Tyrrell Memorial race for Groups J and K, but on Sunday he flipped his car in the sweeper during the running of the Lou Molina Ti-ophy race, the unlucky driver sustaining a broken arm.

Peter Giddings took charge in

Church’s 1937 Dees Offy, below, fitted the bill.

(Photos by Slipstream Photographic and Neil Hammond)

marvellous-sounding Crowfoot

an ex-1938-39 works car that

For Patrick Ryan, the meeting

Out in force: The valuable Maserati 8CTF, top, that finished fifth in the 1939 Italian GP and made six Indy 500 appearances was one of the highlights of the weekend. Max Brunninghausen’s Chevron B8, above, had his mirrors filled by Luke Doige (Farrell), Blake Miller (ASP), and Ian Ross (Elfin 360). For those wanting something a little different, Malcolm

Another famous car appearing 1958 Lotus 15, and after retiring

from the first scratch race Gibson

was rewarded with a third placing next time out.

Handicap honours were shared

by the Himters from NSW - Percy winning the Goad Memorial

Trophy in his MG TC Spl. from John in the Buchanan Holden.

Fred Greeneklee, having sorted out the Cooper JAPs problem, scored fastest lap of lm09.0014s as

he stormed through the field from near back of the grid.

JO

motorsport news

HISTORIC5

Match made in heaven: Sure, we’ve all wondered what would happen if you crossed an aeroplane engine with a Buick chassis. To find the answer, take a look at Frank Cuttell’s 1927 Cirrus.

(Photo by Neil Hammond)

The Group M and 0 Racing grid included five Formula Juniors having their own race-within-arace.

Of these, Nick McDonald was outstanding, finishing third and fourth outright in the two scratch races in his Brabham BT2. In front of him was a mighty battle between Keith Simpson (Eagle Imp) and John Harvey(Brabham BT21A), with the former champion Harvey just scraping home on both occasions.

Although the ‘Hard Luck’ award went to Regularity driver Rick Perry, who experienced a fire first time out in his Amilcar Riley, it could equally have gone to Queenslander Graham Brown in the M and 0 event. Having his

first drive at Winton in more than 30 years, he was the unfortunate victim of an incident in front of him resulting in his Lynx FJ being a non starter for the rest of the meeting.

A happy Bob Cracknell won the handicap in his Elfin 600B from Graham Hoinville (Elfin Mono) and Geoff Fry(Joins FJ)in a close finish.

Of the M,0, Q and Sc sports cars, Ian Ross set the pace,lapping in lm03.1674s in his 1970 Elfin 360. But it was Max Brunninghausen’s 1968 Chevron B8 that stole the Saturday show when Ross miscued. Ross recovered to finish fifth behind a fierce Clubman battle.

Brunninghausen scored a

winning double, taking the Sunday eight lapper from Ross, with Luke Doidge a fine third in his 1972 Farrell Clubman. Doidge surprised everyone by also setting a bilstering fastest lap of lm02.9484s in his brave chase of the more powerful leaders.

Peter Matthews(1962 Nota Sportsman)scored a runaway win in the handicap.

The organisers had to split the Group N touring car field into two groups, such were the numbers entered.

John Mann was the dominant driver in the fastest 22, setting the pace in practice and winning both scratch races in his immaculate 1968 Ford Mustang. But he had plenty of opposition from 'Trevor

mm

The spice of life: A huge variety of machinery exits turn two, with George Goad’s Vauxhall Special showing (Photo by Neii Ham mond) everyone the way.

12 June 2002

Talbot’s flying Torana XU-1, the smaller car just unable to find a way around the ‘Stang.

Popular local driver Tino Leo filled third place in his flame red Monaro but was a non-starter on Sunday due to rear end damage that couldn’t be repaired in time.

In his absence Chris Stewart(1972 Holden HQ)took third place less than five seconds behind the winner.

A giant-killing performance was Henry Draper in his 1964 Morris Cooper S- he was probably the only driver who would have liked a repeat of the weather of the three previous years!

After a debacle of a start in the handicap (just about everyone took off with the limit markers!), Ron Shepherd won the re-start in his Torana LJ and scored an easy win.

Practice for the slower Group N cars was headed by Roger Howard’s ’64 Cooper S,but it was sixth quickest Glenn Miles who won when it really counted, bringing home his 1971 Chrysler Charger just ahead of Doug Juniper’s Holden EH in Saturday’s five lap opener. It looked like a repeat performance on Sunday until Miles spun the Charger in the Esses, allowing Juniper through to a hard-earned win.

Miles recovered to finish eighth.

In a tight finish to the handicap, Kevin Brown (Morris Cooper S) just held off John Bendell(Lotus Cortina) and Geoff Beasley (Datsun 1600).

The organisers would have been disappointed with the poor roll-up of Formula 5000s (only two), and these were combined with Group Q and the Formula Fords, the FFs having a delayed start behind the quicker cars.

On the other hand,it was good to continued on page 72 11

Historic Winton continued from page 71 see the scratch races dominated by sons of well known names in motor sport, with ly Hanger(1977 March), Jamie Lamer(1976 Elfin 700)and Sean Whelan (1975 Chevron B29) putting on a fine display in the quickest cars of the meeting. Hanger’s hot lap of 54.3747s in practice set the scene for what was to follow and he won two hard-fought scratch races.

Driving Richard Bendell’s 1970 Matich F5000, Chris Hocking came home a distant fourth in Saturday’s five lapper, but failed to finish Sunday’s race.

Of the Formula Fords, Andrew Makin’s Palliser scored three wins for the weekend ahead of John Goddard’s Royale RP24.

In the third race, Hugh Hartley stalled his Cheetah Mk4 on the grid, causing a restart. He stalled again, causing another restart, and when the field finally got away, there was a spectacular pileup at Turn One involving four Formula Fords which resulted in Vince Holland’s Bowin P6F landing on top of Bob Morrow’s Elfin 620.

Miraculously, Morrow emerged unscathed when the mess was sorted out and was duly awarded the ‘Lucky Driver of the Meeting’ award!

Don Harris is an old fashioned racer. In the Group Sa and Sb practice his MGB was the fastest sports car and he scored second and third placings in the scratch races. Then after the meeting, he

72

hooked his trailer carrying wheels and tools behind his race car and set offfor home -just like the good old days!

But star of the show was Bendigo’s Bill Lucas, who scored two brilliant wins in the scratch races (including the Alan Jones Memorial Trophy)in his 1961 Turner Mk2- a fine effort considering his Turner is powered by a 998cc engine and he beat all comers, including the seven-litre Chev Corvette of Paul Sabine.

Lucas was a worthy winner of the ‘Driver of the Meeting" award.

Peter ffrench (Morgan Plus 4) took the handicap ahead of the Iso Rivolta of Graeme Hooper.

The Regularity events were opportimities to see some of Australia’s rare motoring heritage in action, and this year’s Vintage and Post Vintage fields included Frank Cuttell’s 1927 Cirrus, an ingenious device powered by a fivelitre air cooled aeroplane engine fitted to a vintage Buick chassis.

Cuttell’s Cirrus won the Terry Kelly Award for ‘Best Australian Special at the Meeting".

Winners of the Regularities were Bill Morling(Austin 7 Ulster), Ian Mawson(MG P-type) and Pat Phillips(1927 Salmson).

The vintage and classic bikes are always a popular inclusion on the Historic Winton progi’am, and this year there were 17 races organised by the Historic Motorcycle Racing Association of Victoria.

There were many fine performances, but standout rider

Jack lives here: Well, one of the cars bearing his name does, anyway.

Nereo Dizane’s sleek 1967 Brabham, above, waits to take to the track. If open-wheelers are not quite your thing, then maybe the Elfin 360, below, is a liitle closer to the mark, (Photos by Slipstream Photographic) for the weekend was Peter Guest, who scored five wins.

His first success came on Saturday in the Post Classic Unlimited race which he won on his 1971 Triumph.

He followed up by winning the All Powers Classic(1959 AJS), the handicap race for the Ken Lucas Trophy in which he started a lap behind the limit markers, and repeated his Post Classic Unlimited win on Sunday.

Guest capped off a great weekend by taking home the Bill Luke Memorial 'Ti’ophy aboard his 1956 Vincent.

OTHEE WINNERS n Satiu-day Clive Harrop (Classic - All Powers); Calvin Merlo (Classic - up to 350cc); Craig Morris (Unlimited); Clive Harrop (Post Classic 250cc); Keith Campbell(Post Classic 350cc); Peter McKay(Post Classic 500cc); Tom Browne & Glen Rolfe(Sidecar - Classic); Peter & Michael Turner (Sidecar -Post Classic).

Sunday Conan Daley(Post Classic 250cc); Clive Warner(Post Classic 350cc); Peter McKay (Post Classic SOOcc); Tom Browne & Glen Rolfe (Sidecar - Classic); Peter & Michael Turner (Sidecar- Post Classic); Gavin Smith & John Dawe (Sidecar Handicap -Post Classic); Doug Gorrie & Peter Heyward (Sidecar Handicap - Classic).

motorsport pews

Brits conquer Monte Carl %

by EOIN YOUNG

I

N a period of Formula 1 racing when the Italian and German national anthems are set on automatic fotr Ferrari and Schumache-r at the end of a Grand Prix, it seemed that God Save the Queen was playing ail through Sunday at the Historic Monaco weekend as the Brits won all the races!

Martin Stretton dominated with his wins in a Connaught and the six-wheeled P34 Tyrrell that Depaiilier had driven to win there in 1978, demonstrating his command by casually tossing the winner's laurel wreath over the roll hoop of the six-wheeler like a big quoit as he strolled back to his pit after the presentation.

There were golden oldies everywhere. Sir Stirling Moss was racing a Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica, similar to the car he drove to win his class in 1952 when the Grand Prix at Monaco was for sports cars instead of single-seaters.

Cliff Allison was recalli'ng how they used to drive the Lotus Grand Prix cars from their garage at Eze-sur-Mer the several miles to and from the circuit in 1958; "That was great fun!"

Allison drove for Ferrari in 1959 and briefly in 1960 before a huge accident at Monaco put him out of action.

Minardi driver Alex Yoong and

Jordan's Takuma Sato both drove histories as a means of gathering track time before the 'real' GP the following weekend.

During wet practice Sato trashed the wingless Lotus 49 that Graham Hill had driven to two Monaco wins in 1968 and 1969 but Yoong was leading the main event for pre-1979 GP cars in a Lotus 72 until Murray Smith blew the engine in his Brabham BT42 on the swoop down past the pit-stop, dowsing the track with oil and bringing out the safety car.

George Liebert performed a hectic 720 deg double spin on the oil in the VI2 Eagle-Weslake, just missing the marshals trying to move the stricken Brabham.

Yoong lost all but fifth gear at this period ("If the safety car had gone faster, I couldn't have kept up!" and dropped to second behind Stretton in the six wheeler.

French classic car magazine editor, Flavien Marcais, had led the opening lap in the 1972 exGanley BRM PI 80 but the fuel pump drive belt broke and he was out. New Zealander Ganley was watching.

Frank Sytner won the pre1966 GP race in his Brabham BT4 painted in the correct tealblue colour, but Sir Jack was not on hand to see it. Phil Hill was elected President of the Ancien Pilotes Association over the weekend, taking over from Toulo

Same colour, different car: Phil Hill won the 1961 World Championship for Ferrari, but swapped the Prancing Horse for a few demonstration laps (Photo by Graham Gauld) in an Alfa Romeo 3000CM Coupe.

12 June 2002

Tearing up the streets: David Franklin (Ferrari 750 Monza) leads the start of the Sports Car race, above, with Jeremy Agace's Maserati 250SI and Frank Sytner s Aston Martin DB3S giving chase. Also present during the weekend was JeffKline's super-rare Alfa Romeo I2C, with its 12 cylinder powerplant, below.

(Photos by Graham Gauld}

de Graffenried.

"He won the first FI race 1 ever saw, in a Maserati at Goodwood!" said the 1961 Ferrari world champion.

Phil was less than impressed when he missed practice because of a clutch problem in the Alfa Romeo 6C 3000 GT that Fangio had driven to second place in the Mille Miglia. He wanted to start from the back of the grid, but race director Jacky Ickx refused to let him, saying he was too old and the risk was too great. Phil did a disgruntled

parade lap before the race instead.

I watched Julian Bronson winning the pre-1952 race in an ERA from the seventh floor balcony of Roy Salvadori's apartment, with Tony Gaze, 82, who was wondering why the ERA was painted green instead of the original blue.

"I watched Johnny Wakefield winning the 200 miles race at Brooklands in that car and I know that he stipulated it to be blue when he bought It from the factory..."

73

nanonal

scene

Histories, MGs support Stegbar 400

by MARK GLENDENNING

BRAD Tilley ruled the streets in the national capital last weekend,taking his Mustang to two wins the Historic Touring Car races.

Having also topped the tables in qualifying, the only thing that didn't go Tilley's way last weekend was the second race, where the NSW-based driver was forced to settle for fourth.

Peter O'Brien did his bit to carry the Ford banner by winning race two in his XY and finished second to Tilley in both the other races.

John Mann was best of the rest, taking his Mustang Coupe to a second and two thirds, with Cameron Tilley completing the Blue Oval's domination by taking third in race two behind the wheel of his Mustang.

ADAM Bressington and Mark

1

Williamson took the 'sharing is caring' approach in Canberra last weekend, with each scoring a win and a second place in the second

round of the Kumho Tyres Trophy MGF Series.

Victorian Brett Dunstone was on hand to complete the podium in both races.

Mustang Tilley: Brad Tilley was almost unstoppable in his Mustang, abo e, but Cameron Tilley's XYGT was ne er too far behind, below.

(Photos by Dirk Klynstniih)

r .

/

f

1 4

June

Event

Venue

15-16

QLD MG Series B Sprints

15-16

Ford Racing Kart Stars Winter Cup

15-16

Konica Series

Oran Park

15-16

Rally of Queensland

Queensland

16

Rob Roy Interclub Hill Climb

Rob Roy

16

Wintercup Hill Climb Rd 2

Collingrove

Morgan Park Geelong

21-23

Power Tour

22-23

Procar Champ Series

Winton

22

Supercross Masters

Adelaide

23

Porsche Cup Sprints

Mallala

23

VKA Open Meeting

Oakleigh

23

Drags & Hiliclimb

Wakefield Park

23

NSW State Championsips

Eastern Creek

And it’s an all-MG affair: Adam Bressington, below, was on song around the Canberra streets during the Kumho Tyres Trophy races, sharing a win (Photo by Dirk Klynsiiiiih i and a second place with Mark Williuamson.

QLD Raceway

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74

motorsDort news

KARTING

Super 8 Series kicks off

The first ever round of the Australia wide APS Super 8 Series took place with the opening South Australian round, held in conjunction with round two of the SA Festival State Cup, at Barossa on May 26.

While 12 classes competed for Festival State Cup points, registered drivers in seven categories fought for Super 8 honours. At the conclusion of the first round, Scott Boorman (Midgets), Ben Kilsby (Rookies), Paul Pittam (Junior National Light),Yiani Harpas(Junior National Heavy), Scott Pye (Junior Clubman), Tony Gagliardi(Formula

KartOz Light) and Nick Scudds (Formula KartOz Heavy)lead their respective Super 8 classes.

The SA Super 8 meetings for Rotax Light and Heavy commence at Bolivar at the end of June.

The Super 8 Series is unique in that drivers must qualify through their relevant state series to be eligible for entry in the national final.

Similar state series are about to kick off in NSW (Newcastle, June 29-30), Queensland (Ipswich, July 6-7) and WA (Tiger, August 3-4) with details for Victoria still to be confirmed. The National Super 8 final is scheduled for Dubbo on December 6-8.

-MARK WICKS

Zed 3 Plus hits the track The latest model out of the Queensland based Azzurro Karts workshop has hit the race tracks of the world. The long awaited Azzurro Z3+ won first time out when team driv er Richard McLeod raced a development chassis in Malaysia last month.

The Z3+ is immediately distinguishable from its Z3 predecessor by the bright limegi-een anodised aluminium components and left side torsion bar adjustment handle.

In what is some forward thinking from the design team at Azzurro, the kart is fitted vrith a movable torsion bar behind the seat that the driver can adjust during a race to change chassis stiffness as the tyres come up to temperature.

The entire Z3-I- range of chassis

incorporate the torsion bar as standard, except for the Rotax chassis (the Rotax engine mounting does not leave enough room)and the CIK kart which, because of an international three year homologation, cannot be significantly changed.

Due to the success of the original Z3 model, changes to critical chassis dimensions are minimal with the frame still constructed of 28 and 32mm tube.

In addition to the torsion bar, the other significant alterations are a new brake system with Azzurro’s in-house-designed six-spot caliper, and the pption of a 50mm rear axle assembly which, until recently, was only available to the team drivers.

The kart comes complete with full body kit and new style graphics.

-MARK WICKS

Ben Kilsby (top) leads the SA APS Super 8 points in the Rookie olass.

Craig Denton (right) won Clubman Super Heavy at the second round of the Festival State Cup and is one of the APS Super 8 Series favourites in Photos: Sean Henshelwood Rotax Heavy.

World Championships

Manetti the Man! Alessandro Manetti has jumped to a commanding lead in the Formula Super A World Karting Championship series after winning both finals at the opening round at Mariembourg, Belgium,on June 2.

Manetti (CRG/Maxter) won each of the 19 lap finals by less than one second - however the Italian’s pace was never in question, running up front all weekend and setting fastest lap on each occasion.

Significantly, he and DR Sri team mate Darren Bressaglia, a relative unknown from Luxembourg, were the only Dunlop runners in a field dominated by Bridgestone. In what was something of a ‘hero or zero’ move, team principle Danillo Rossi (himself a multiple world ohampion) made the choice to run Dunlops - the result strongly suggests it was a wise gamble.

Maxter engines featured strongly in the result. Dutchman

Giedo van der Garde sits second in the championship for CRG/Maxter after taking a third and fourth. Ben Hanley, now driving for the little Maranello/Maxter team, which did so well last year with Ennio Gandolfi, runs third after carding a second in Final Two ahead of Birel/TM veteran Gianluca Beggio.

One of the pre-season favourites, Tony Kart’s Marko Asmer, started the meeting well with second in Final One, but a DNF in Final Two, which saw Gandolfi and the Lenzo Karts of Cesare Balistreri and Caren Burton also out, dropped him to sixth overall.

DR Sri (CRG/Maxter/Dunlop) leads the teams championship ahead of Maranello (Maranello/Maxter/Bridgestone) and the Tony Kart Racing Team (Tony KartA/ortex/Bridgestone).

Round two is at the Mika Sale circuit at Alaharma, Finland, on June 30.

- MARK WICKS

75

Industry Nevsfs JiraiiitS

On Tape

I

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The ultimate power fix for your Hoiden l Available for early and VN Style V8 l Super flow potential compared to ported iron heads l Greater thermal efficiency and half the weight of iron www.yellaterra.com.au Ph 03 9555 5522 Fax 03 9555 4152

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NSW:(02)9678 9977 QLD:(07)3808 1986 VIC:(03)9794 5177 WA:(08)9353 1155 Australian Importer and distributor:

CROWCAMS

l Fast profile design service to your requirements l Custom ground roller, solid and hydrauiic profiles using unique computer controlled machines for unrivailed accuracy

a huge range of one piece super duty ^ pushrods Ph 03 9357 0469 or Fax 03 9357 OOOi Visit our website: www.crowcams.com.au

The USA’s first cheiee m race valve springs now available in Australia l /4s used by top US teams including Hendricks Motorsport (NASCAR),John Force(Funny Car), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock) l Specific super duty spring design for endurance (circuit, speedway and marine)or Drag Race applications deliver consistent pressures and longer spring life.

Available from tho exclusive Australian distributor

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Ph 03 9357 0469 Fax 03 9357 OOOI

^SuperFlow engine & chassis

t=d Balancers

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l Extremely durable bonded dampening material l Easy to read computer etched timing marks l Available in economical cast iron Street, versatile iron/steel Street/Race and all steel SFi approved Race versions Ph 02 6921 5126 Fax 02 6921 7536 Visit out website www.precisionparts.com.au

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78

WHITE FACED DIALS

RACE CAMS, VALVE TRAIN TOOLS & COMPONENTS

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1

^Z>r\ motorsport news

MARKET PLACE

Classifieds

2 issues* absolutelyfree

*IVIotorsport News Classifieds are FREE for private sales. Classifieds from motor sport traders are accepted {marked with a ●) and must be prepaid at the following per issue rates: $5 per 10 words (min $10 per ad), photo $10. Further enquiries to our advertising department on 03 9596 5555.

Classifieds can be mailed, faxed or emailed. Classifieds are not accepted over the telephone.

news

Forward to Motorsport News Free Classifieds, 357 Nepean Highway Brighton East 3187. Fax: 03 9596 5030. Email: mnews@mnews.com.au. Make sure to list your category.

Sedans/SPOiis Cars

Falcon V8 BRute, new Feb 02, upgraded valve train, 2 rounds old, ready to race series, contact John Pengelly. POA, ph 0418 820 338.231

V8 Supercar, Perkins-built car, done 8 meeting since ne<v, Perkins Chev, lovr Kb, fuel tower, 12 wheels and spates, ideal Konica Senes Bathurst race end Sports Sedans. $60,000, ph 0417 778 188.2s

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1991 Nissan GTIR Pulsar, King Tandem tiaileKas new); Hanop discs (new): 4-pot calipers knew pads); CR gearbox (overhauled): comp dutch; 75mm exhaust, air box with Rampod; 16" vjheels; Kevlar seats; Ept cage; Terraphone: Rally Master computer; Shift light .comp springsblruts etc $25,500. Ph Char's 0418126 CO 232

12^

Mazda RX3 Ecaupe, 197^4 set up for tarmac rallying. 17th ouTright in 2002 Rally Tas. 2nd in class. Built with no expense spared. MoTec dash and ECH etc. S19,5000 CH39M9 ph 0438 699 911.234

Torana 134 Qub Car, Harrog rotors, big calipers, full floating 8 inch diff, top loader, dry sump, fresh paint, less eng (suit STB Chev), seam welttef. Must sell asap. Cheap at $8,000. Ph: 02 6374 1303 23

I

Gtoup A, original Caltex car, run 3 laps Bathurst brand newcar, log bocdc,1 meeting BahurstPh 02 96814123.a

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Road reg. Cost over $200K to develop, $67,500 firm. 03 9822 5034 or email I womble@mira.net. 232

1991 Nissan Pulsar SSS Race Car, ex-Garry Rogers Motorsport car, CAMS logbook, full alloy rollcage, 2 It engine Autronic engine management, 5-speed Viscos diff, fully adj suspension, 8 wheels with Dunlop Rrace tyres, 12 months reg QMA 578, RWC, 18,000km, spare 2 It engine complete with 5-speed gearboxx and diff, new driveshafts, heaps of spares, $14,000. For more info ph 03 5145 1350 or 0409 413 949.234

e

1994 Gold Coast Indy Pace Car, ED XR8 Auto, body kit, GT17" wheels, CD stacker. $29,900 ono, ph 07 5583 8929 (w) or 07 5596 6169 (h). 23.1 NASCAR Ford Thunderbird, very competitive car currently racing Power Tour, Some spares. $45,000 ono, ph 0418 450 740.232 Mk II Escort, 2 litre Sports Sedan, Pinto engine, twin Webers, 4 w discs, new brakes, 5 speed Celica box, locked diff, quick rack steering, moulds, numerous extras, $12,900 ph 02 6687 5355. 232

VT Commodore, last driven in Adelaide 500, Sl65,000ono, ph Tomas Mezera 0418 747 976.233

RS 1600 Tarmac Rally car, 2 It dry sump, alloy block BDA, Motec fuel injection, Quaife 5 speed SCCR box, Tilton twin plate clutch, Tran-X LSD, Quaife floating axle assembly, Bilsteins, Willwood 4 piston fronts. Ford Motorsport rear discs, adjustable pedal box, seam welded, tureted, Panhard bar, compression struts. Far too many other items to list, logbook, only one meeting since built. Reluctantly offered for sale. Build cost of vehicle well over $100,000, sell $69,500 ono. Ph Colin 0438 441 480.232

Escort Sport Sedan, close ratio box, space frame, fresh single rotary turbo, 4 link rear adjustable suspension, fibreglass panels, first see will buy, $21,000 ph 02 9686 8596 or 0417 475 409.232

GT Performance VXGTS 300kw, latest spec car, brake upgrade, ready to win racesl For sale at a realistic price, we are open to offers. Ph Craig 0407 724 862.233

Lancer EVO III, GSR 95 Model, white, 61,000km, factory 200kw, full electrics, never raced or rallied. Regretful sale, reg and RWC. Reg QZB 244. $28,000 ono, ph 03 9799 9106 (h) or 0413 536 801.233

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U XU1 Sports Sedan, thousands of doSats spent on this great car, refreshed 202, new tvfieels and tyres, highly maintained, lots of spares, nothing to spend, just go racing in one of the bst categories 57500, ph 0428 442 411 (Syd). 234

Torana Sports Sedan, 202 Sspeed, fibreglass pannels.

Quick & ready to race. Spares indude Rims, Spoilers, Moulds, Diff, Springs, Bootlid Must sell due to new project. $8,500 ono Ph Michael 02 4732 5011 (bh) 02 4774 0607 (ah) iu

12 June 2002

Datsun 240ZMarque SporTsSIOcc, fuel injected, C/R box, 4 diff', 3 set wheeiss, glass panels. Eastern Creek Tm44, S22 , 500 pli077 5578 1 846.232

Modified Production VFCommodore.EFI engine inci steel crank, ro tier cam. cam bearings, full floater diff, all best equp; Spares indudcwheels, tyres, bilstein shockers & fibreglass. Well built, well presented competitive carwath unlimited potential. $18,000, Ph Greg 0408 577'161 or{031:>5571 9118.232

Welsor Clubman 1976 (Car #12), Datsun A12 1300CC, dry sumped, blueprinted and balanced, 2 X 45mm Webers, Datsun 4-speed, 'Beam' front axle, BMC 'A' rear axle, 4 wheel discs. Fully restored from bare chassis. Group Q logbook and C of D. Ready to race, $18,500, ph Barry 0412 703 635. 234

Corolla, KE10 Club Car, road reg, 4 AG on carbs, 5 speed, alloy half cage, harness, sports wheel, seat, Yoko A539 tyres, reliable, plenty of development left, $5000 firm, Ph Rob 03 6334 5833.232

Concours Mustang 1965 302, Notchback in race trim, spent eighty thousand pounds sterling to prepare to this stage, will be irreplaceable at $80,000, for sale due to personal problems, ph Morris Miles 9888 7992 or 0419 335 670.233

vV

2 litre Sports Sedan, winner 2000 SRS and 2001 USSA championship. Mk II Escort - full space frame, fibre/g panels, rolling chassis, fully refurbished for 2001/2002 season (not raced).

Suit Ford engine. No expense spared - new suspension, Hewland gear train, LSD, race dutch pack, numerous extras. Bargain at $18,000, Ph Luke 041« 582 882.233

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Golf GTI, 16 valve 3 door UK spec, C/R gearbox, LSD, service records, excellent body/mech condition, outperforms VRG, very collectable classic hatch. $14,975, ph 0407 002 726.233 TG Gemini club sprint car. Group 5 - Class F. Mild 2L. 5sp. Runs 2:07 Phillip Island.$3500 ph 5622 1909.233

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Formula Holden, Strike with complete spares, body moulds. Silver Star & Aust Hillclimb winner.

Elfin 400 front wheel. Ph 08 8554 9559.233 Historic Formula Ford, Bowin P6F 1973, Grp Q, Restored 99%, all previous history available for log book, $17,500, ph 0418 509 145.233

V8 BRute, 2001 Champ'ship-winning Holden, (re-advertised), complete with Holden license, spares, data logging & prepared ready to race. Ph Rod Wilson 03 9872 4522 or 0417 511 911. 233 V8 Datsun 1600, 4.4 Itr aluminium V8, steelcase 5 speed,14x7.5 & 14x8.5 three piece wheels, 6pt bolt in steel cage,flared guards. Heaps of potential, dark blue. $3000 ph 03 5126 1791ah 233 HQ Holden Race Car, front running car in 2001. Reconditioned engine. Diff and gearbox two races old. Ready to race. $3500ono. Ph Troy 0415 197 697 or 02 6331 3034.233

GTP XR6 AUll Falcon, ex Longhurst as raced at Bathurst 99/00. Upgraded to AUll spec as per Procar requirements. Perfect entry level car. List of spares. $35,000. Ph Guy on 07 3343 1566.233 TG Gemini club sprint car, 2001 Group 5 championship winning car - Class E. Fully worked 1600. 5sp. Spare 4pot brakes. Runs 2:04 Phillip Island. $5500 ph 5622 1909.233

Open Wheelers WIitsubishi FTO, 2001 GTP Championship winning car. 3 wins and a 2nd already this year.

Most reliable car in the field. Eligible for Prod Sports Car/ Street Sedans. $29,000 ono Ph 0413

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VII, brand new

1961 Schazum, Group M racing. Historic logbook, certificate of description, full history, BMC A series engine 1098cc, VW split case gearbox. Triumph brakes, steering and some suspension components. Some spares incI body mould, short engine etc.

Custom built trailer included if required.

Car located at Albury, wil l deliver to Melbourne, Sydney etc. $25,000, interesting trades considered. Ph Peter Cooper 0408 204 432. 234

Sprintcar J&J 1997 Roller, all good gear, ex-Max Dumesny, wide 5 front end, hollow bolt kit, titanium drive line & stops, fresh powercoat & paint. $12,500. For details ph Brian 02 4577 5944.233 1 I n l

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Litre car, Ex-Troy Little Jack Rich USA chassis. All top shelf equipment, fresh A.15. $13,500 for full details of car. Ph Brian 02 4577 5944.233 CRD 852 Formula Two with Historic Group R, Log Book, full race history available, very reliable, fresh Ford engine, Hewland gearbox, large amount of spares Inc, mounted wets, spares ratios, suspension, engine parts. $18500 ono. Ph Ian 0417 851 716 or 03 9878 9515.233

Speedway

597 095.233

vehicle, just landed, RS Brembo brakes, change of plans, available for immediate delivery exSydney, $62,500 duty & tax paid, ph 0418 444 443 or 02 9684 6666.233

Formula Vee Sabre, latest body brand new powdercoat too many spares to describe spare engine, latest spec engine with 1600 rockers 1 meeting old, selling due move to another category, $12990 ono. 03 97906204 or 0409 023060.233

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Engines Two Holden Supercar engines, Perkins slide manifolds on both, one wet sump engine, one dry sump engine, both complete with exhaust systems, many options, make an offer, ph 03 5626 1319 all hours. 234 Ford Cosworth BDD Engine, complete inci carbs, starter, flywheel and 2 plate clutch. Dual ignition as per Ralt RT4. Only 2 meetings since overhaul.

Ph:(02) 9949-3996.233 Toyota 4AGE, 16V 99.6kW @ Wheels.Dyno sheets available. Increased compression, 9mm 310deg Tighe camshafts. Fully balanced, large injectors, one race since rebuild. Mapping data available Ph:0427 057492. 233

Paris nn “1 .

Sprintcar. 2001 Stealth Dash 12 Shaver. Good hp. never bent, all good gear, lots titanium. Spares wings (Kelly Winfirld Radng). Last start winner. $49,500ono. Ph; Phil 0415 229 590 234

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. ._j FVH Facing has one of its Ford Dealer Team Falcons for lease/buy 2002 season. Ready now for the right driver. Top vehicle, no expense spared. Full dealer team preparation, back up & sponsorship in package. Qld and Vic based.

Great opportunity. Ph James 0416 325 526.233 HQ Holden race car, NSW #52 Div 1 car, front running car, loads of spares, wheels, gearbox, diff & more dyno sheets available. $5500 ono.

Ph Peter Hogan 02 4646 1033 24 hrs. 233 Escort Twin Cam 1970 road car, STC spec, full drivetrain/suspension/brake rebuild, very original low .mileage collectible classic. $13,750, ph 0407 002 726. 233

Formula 2 Historic Group Q, restored and raceworthy, fresh Ford engine, excel tyres, easy and cheap to maintain, $16,500, ph 0403 131 304. 234

Azzurro chrome moly kart, comes complete with KTI005E clubman motor. Ready to race $1400 ono, ph 03 5248 2541. 234 Formula Vee 92 Bee Cee, 1998 State Championship winner. Spare panels and semienclosed frailer. $8,500. Ph Shane Hart 07 32694134 w or 0412 916069.233

Sprintcar - Sportsmans, 186 Holden methanol engine, 3 speed box, mags, fresh paint, Lukey exhaust, race ready, class still running at Drouin & Bairnsdale, good hillciimber. $2000, ph 03 5134 8438.233 Super Sedan VS Commodore, Vic 38 ready to race with spares inci 6 wheels and tyres, fresh eng trans, quickchange. Girdlestone chassis wide fives, Willwood brakes, p/steering. $15,000, ph Col 03 9785 1422.233

Harrop 4 piston brake calipers, ex Grp C, inc 300mm slotted rotors, hubs and stub axles, suit ASX, PWS comp pads brand new. $3250 Ph: 0411 354 941 2ji l Bob Gill clearance sale: Celica body shell, complete with all moulds, panels, all doors and wings $1500, Jericho gear rations from $400 per set, diff(9" complete drum to drum (no centre) $350, Harrop 9" complete fully floating brakes and calipers $2500, 9" NASCAR housing and floating end $500, 8.5" Mustang diffs complete $200, Axle tubes with fully floating ends $500, Oil coolers from $500 each.

Mustang 82 Model LHD complete Dick Johnson-style body $6000, magnetos LH and RH rebuilt by BUI Dudley from $800 each, Weaver dry sumps from $600, dry sump tanks from $300, dutches triple plate

HQSfi! Send us your classified ads and we’ll run them for FREE* Category; □ Sedans □ Open Wheelers □ Speedway GDrag □ Parts □ Engines □ Trailers □ Wanted □ Photographs □ Other.

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NOTICE TO ADVERTISERS Please use the form provided and print clearly. Please note we are unable to return photographs used in classified ads. Ads will appear as soon as possible after receipt. ‘FREE Classifieds are for the sale of private goods and vehicles only, not business advertising (Trade advertisers see Classifieds header for rates). Photos marked "proof" will not be used.

motorsport news

MARKET PLACE 7.25" Ford and Chev, new and used parts, 14" and 13.5" Brembo and Harrop discs just bedded in from $200, NASCAR 351 engine block,4 bolt Chev, sleeved back to standard and modified passages $3000, new 4ma crank rods and new pistons to suit $2500, Ford AUll body shell, ideal for Sports Sedan, started projed $1500, Space frame with all pick up points, fuel tank and engine plates to suit Chev engine, just put your body over it $2000, V8 Supercar bell housing oil tanks, 1 Behag, 1 Stone Brothers Ford to Hollinger gearbox.

Cobra engine, complete with 4 IDA'S Ali sump, Ali rocker covers, Ali manifold $10,000, Chev F5000 McKay manifold, complete with 8 tmmpets and linkages $3500, Chev manifold to suit fuel injedion or 410/ts $1500, Ford Boss manifold to suit 41 DA carbys $1000, Ford Boss 302,indy rods $200 each. Ford Boss set of 8 new nods with 8 new pistons to suit $4000, Carillo rods new set to suit Ford 302 $2000, 1 pair Ford Boss heads BARE $1600, 1 pair Ford high port heads 0 ringed new ported and matched $2000, flywheel steel to suit 7 1/4" clutch $400, flywheel Alo new Chev $500, Lola F5000 front uprights $400 each. Bell housing Repco Holden to DG300 $1000, brake calipers SCP 4 piston large from N/kSCAR $300 each, brake calipers Willwood, 4 piston new $1200 pair, 9" Ford crown wheel and pinions from $250 all ratios.

Roller rockers Crane and Crown suit Ford and Chev, new and used from $50 each, V8 Supercar brake pads from $200 set, front or rear. Ford Ali bell housing $200, Lola 10" X 15" sports car wheels $250 each, plus many other Ford and racing parts, numerous cam shafts from $50 each, 31 spline axles $50 each. Ph 03 9510 7418, 0412 678 943 or fax 03 9529 5329.235 ICOM Racing Radios, Complete with headset, charger, two radios and spare battery. As new, $1800.

Phone 0413 139 811.233 Motec ADL 4, New, 2mb memory. Pro Analysis, Telemetry, & other upgrades. Beacon transmitter /receiver, CAN Cable, plus more. $9000. Ph Luke 0412 417 187.233 Holley 350, new $200. Parts bath, little used, $140.

Husky engine analyzer $65. Ph Ron 0414 399 337 233 Holden L34 twin coil point distributor, complete with cap and rotor. $575. Ph 0428 535 245(Mel). 233 Falcon .AU body shell, no panels, lightweight body, ideal for speedway and others, brand new, genuine enquiries only, $2000, ph Norm Fisher Racing 03 5339 5834 or 0407 829 580.233 Parts for Group C L34 Torana, 1 pair Girlock 4 spot calipers, 2 sets pads, $1200, sump for L34 $300, set L34 heads with 1.6 Crane roller rockers $700, diff centre 3.08 with Detroit locker and axles to suit L34, $1200, ph 03 5428 3916 (bh). 233 Clutch AP 7 1/2 pressure plate, brand new, gear lever Hollinger 6 spd, brand new, ph Peter 02 9630 6509 or 0418 217 451. 233 VP Commodore race shell (ex-Supercar), suitable for Sports Sedan, complete with doors, two spare spoilers, race seat, fuel tank, rear wing, skirts and many other spares. Also for sale VS body shell, suitable for sonieone building a racecasr.

Make an offer, ph 02 5626 1319 all hours. 234 Datsun A' series option 5 speed gearbox.

Ratios 1st 3.757-1 2nd 3.247-1 3rd 1.659-1 4th 1.291-1 5th 1-1 R4.040-1 plus Steel lightened and balanced flywheel to suit. $1500, ph (03) 51261791 ah (Vic). 233 Hewland FT200 Transaxle, Outboard brake model ex Ralt RT4. Lots of ratios. Only 2 meetings since overhaul. Ph:(02) 9949-3996.233

AP 6-spot calipers, latest spec, $3800, ph 03 6243 6000 or 03 6249 2684(ah). 233 Escort 3 rail C/R gearbox $1200, 3.9/4.1 cwp $175 each, Fierra 4.8/4.7 cwp new $795 each, 28 spline LSD new $895, 25 spline LSD used $495, Fierra 5 link housing/LSD/4 caiipers, $1500, ph 0407 002 726. 233

Refuelling rig, 200 litre overhead tank with all hoses, wiring and fittings. Also two churns and one vent bottle. Perfect for 24hr race. Ph 02 9630 6509 or 0418 217 451. 233 l Race seats, top quality imported race seats at wholesale prices. Ph 02 6562 7762 or 0412 785 486. l Clutches, 7.25, 5.5, 5.0 single, twin, triple plate, sintered or carbon, AP-Tilton-QM, new/used. Spare covers, rings, plates also available. CCi Ph 0418 925 767.

Enclosed trailer, tandem, amsolutely immaculate, always garaged, electric winch, twin spares, suit race, sports or medium tourer, electric brakes. $10,000, ph 08 8370 2000 or 0418 840 420.233 '-]

y-.

l Pedals, brake/clutch, floor mount/hanging, new/sued. Also available, bias valves, bias cables, master cylinders, reservoirs etc. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Air jacks, new/used, large range, most applications, quick release handles available, top quality. CCI. Ph 0418 925 767. l Brake calipers, discs, pads. Mega range, new/used, exc condition - AP, Alcon, Brembo, Outlaw, Willwood. Overnight delivery. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Hewland, DGB, 5 speed transaxle, top condition, new 9:31 CWP, ratio choices and spares available, $14K ratios, over 300 in stock to suit DGB, GFGB, TPT, FT200. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Oil coolers - heat exchangers, Earls, Setrab, Serck, 6-70 row, new/used, also used water to oil heat exchangers, over 100 in stock. CCI Ph 0418 925 767, l Racecar parts, brake parts, chassis stands, diff oil pumps, exhaust collectors, fuel cell accessories, oil filters, quickiift jacks, ratio boxes, radiator caps, springs, spoilers, wings etc. CCI Ph 0418 925 767. l Uprights, fabricated/cast, fronts/rears, various sizes, new/used, also CVs, driveshafts, wishbones, rockers, pushrods, all top quality, exc condition.

CCIPh 0418 925 767. l Radiators, aluminium, new/used, single/dual pass, top quality, large range, various sizes, suit all applications, fr $300. CCI Ph 0418 925 767.

Transporters/Trailers u

Hino GD170 h.p.83 model, excellent mechanical condition very reliable 15' pan belly lockers power winch ramps etc. Must sell bought another transporter best offer around $12000 an absolute bargain. 03/9790 6204 or 0409 023060.233

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test only, never raced in. Call Ian on 02 49664434, mobile 0439081 156. 234

Magazines & programs: Aus GP, Bathurst, Thuderdome. magazines: mid-80s - Racing Car News, Chequered Flag, Australian Motor Racing and GT Thunderdome. Ph 0408 319 954. 233 Drive available, one-off Formula Ford DTE National Rds, Bathurst, possibly Indy & QLD series fr $5,000. Ph 07 5446 7611 or 0411 052 944. 233 SPARCO Karting Suit, Jesolo, Blue & White.

Size 60 (XXL). Hardly used and in good condition. $285. SPARCO Rib Protecting Vest, Red, Size 3 (XL). Near new. $55. Both $300.

0411 101-977 Syd. 233 Grand Prix videos, large selection. Other motorsport videos, mags and memorabilia. Email for list, brendon@grog2go.com. 233 Great opportunity to expand your automotive library, many of offer no longer available. Aust competition Y/books 1975, 1976, No 8 plus Aust Motor Racing Y/books Nos 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22. Various prices, ph 0408 413 309 or email stuartbowes@bigpond.com. 233 l Driving suits, top brand imported race suits, boots, gloves etc. Many styles & colours at wholesale prices.

Ph 02 6562 7762 or 0412 785 486.

Wanted

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New tiltable tri-axle car carrier, red duce, inside dimensions are height 5ft, width 6ft 6 inches, length 22ft. Spring loaded rear door with extra ramps, 240 volt and 12 volt lighting with powerpoints and air compressor. Black & white chequered vinyl tiling throughout. Everything including tyres are new. For colour photos email pontiacaustralia@yahoo.com. $15,000, ph 03 9310 1466 bh or 0400 424 259.233 Trailer single axle, full checker plate floor 12x 7'6, electric brakes, jockey wheel suit Formula Ford, Vee etc. VGC. $1375 ph 0412 421 126 (Bris). 233

Ottier Bathurst programs, 73, 74, 77 ($75 each), 80-88 ($50 each) 93,96,97 ($40 each), 85 Sandown 500 ($50). Ph Glenn Auckland NZ 09 571 3341.234

WARNING: MNews has been made aware of an individual (using the surname Trees) who is responding to Wanted ads, demanding payment prior to the dispatch of goods and then disappearing once the money has been deposited into a Westpac account in Taree.

NSW Police are on the case, but in the interim please be careful I USA NASCAR driver handout postcards plus also early Thunderdome postcards I am keen to buy or swap. Ph 0408 593 731 (bh) or 03 5261 3438 (ah). 23.1 Enclosed car trailer, for sedan car from 10th-15th October 2002. Ph 02 9736 2185, 234 GEMINI Group C, 1800cc Twin Cam, complete car and or parts, information or location. Ph. Barry 0412 703 635. 234 Attention Group C and Group A owners, do yu own a Group C or pre-1990 Group A Touring Car and wish to race it or just enjoy the company of fellow enthusiasts, then why not give us a call to obtain more details. Frank Binding 02 9905 5770, Barry Thew 02 9638 0011, Derek Wickett 03 9808 1916 (ah), John Harris 07 3891 2598. 235 Escort 1100 crankshafts, conrons or complete engine/s, ph Chris 0407 065 302.234 Rear plastic boot spoiler for LH SLR.5000 Torana.

Must be in as new condition. Ph 03 5382 1560 (bh) or 03 5382 0129 (ah). 234

Fully enclosed trailer, single axle, 13' x 6' x 3.6' (inside), hydraulic brakes, lift front top, lightweight alloy, rear door/ramps, jockey wheel, excellent tyres and covers, spare, tidy unit, suit FVee, FFord, FJunior, Historic and/or small sports car. 12 months rego, J2,250 ph 03 9817 7776.233

Alnita Racing offers for sale a 24ft pan 1986 SBR Isuzu Truck. This truck has been recently mechanically upgraded, inc new turbo painted, fully relined and decked out to carry a Sprintcar and spares, etc. Truck includes in pan wing hangers, tyre mounts and work bench area, electric winch, air compressor, etc. $14,000 ono. Ph Alan Matthews 0419 030 911 or E-mail: alnita@bigpond.com. 234

suit, size 8 1/2 Le Mans high boots, large gloves, with full underwear set. Used for CAMS licence

l Burettes, lOcc, 25cc, 50cc, 75cc, 100cc, scales, digital, accurate O.OOIg. Also other accurate measuring containers, beakers etc. Ph Matt at Race Lab 0419 734 387.233

Ohiins race shocks, set of four, fully adjustable rebound and compression damping, steel body, suit Formula Ford or similar. $4000 ono, ph 0408 713 712.233

Quaife LSD suit Escort, Brand new, never used cost over $2000, sell $1600. Ph: 0427 057492.233 350 Chev parts, Yella Terra YT5001 adjustable roller rockers (new) $540, Romac alloy balancer P/N0202/VA Pro Series (350, new) $250, Crane 99277-16 anti pump lifters (350, new)$100, Scatt cast crank SC 10442 (new) $350, GM/Bowtie replacement quote 4 bolt (new) $1800, Scatt I Beam 1200S 5.700 (new) $320, Rollmaster P/N CS1000 timing chain kit (rsew) $75, ACL Larry Perkins race series pistons(new)4420, Brodix track 1 heads fully hand-ported $2000, complete with ferrea stainless valves, esky springs, titanium retainers, locks. Ph 0419 188 010. 233

Fully enclosed car trailer, dual axle electric brakes, tyre racks, separate access to parts, storage up front, 6x6 annexe, ideal Sport Sedan, Commodore Cup etc. $6000, ph John Pengelly 0418 820 338.234

Jason Bargwanna Phillip Island wheel coffee table, original wheel from Phillip Island crash, signed Jason Bargwanna PI 2002, great conversation piece for all motorsport fans. $850 ono, ph 03 9761 0622 or 0418 383 454.233 Race Suit Package. Revolution Racegear "Mondial - RPM 900" suit and kit. Size: Large double layer Nomex Suit (Yellow top half/ all black bottom) Size 10 black RPM boots, large gloves with full underwear set. Used once for CAMS licence test. As new condition in RPM kit bag. Cost S1100 sell for $900 ono. Call Anthony on 03 52825776 or mobile 0417 310371 234 Race suit /kit for sale. Revolution Racegear, Trans Am kit. Size M Triple Layer Nomex Blue and White

Racing Car News magazines, in GC. Jan to Oct inclusive + Dec. 1967, Feb, Mar, June, July, Aug, Sept andDec 1968, July 1969, April, June, July, Oct and Dec 1970, June and July 1971, Jan 1972.

Contact Jim 02 9828 9222 bh or email jim.funston@subaru.com.au. 233 Tasmanian Motorist Magazine, Issues Sept/Oct/Nov 1965, Feb/Apr/June 1966 and Feb 1967. Need to complete collection for research.

Pay good $$. Can swap issues or sell some issues outright including big Longford 1965 issue, ph 0411 101-977 (Syd). 233 LSD Centre, suit 66 Mk 1 Cortina, ratio not required, have plenty, must be in GC. Ph Russ 03 9499 3368. 233 Escort or Cortina diff 4.4 Ph 03 6243 6000 or 03 6249 2684, 233

MNEWS CLASSIFIEDS - FAX, MAIL OR EMAIL 12 lune 2002

81

OPINION

nuorsMTi EDITORIH STUFF

Editor: Phil Branagan »editor@mnews.com.au Assistant Editor: Aaron Noonan l noonz@mnews.com.au Staff Journalist: Mark Glendenning l mark@mnews.com.au

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CONTRIRUTORS General: Grant Nicholas, Darryl Flack, Mark Jones, Jon Thomson FI: Joe Saward, Adam Cooper Europe: Quentin Spurring, Gary Watkins US: Phil Morris Speedway: Brett Swanson, Julie Pearce, Geoff Rounds, Wade Aunger, Tony Millard (UK), Greg Boscato Rally: Jon Thomson Histories: Brian Reed Drag Racing: Greg Ward, Jon Asher (USA), Dave Ostaszewski (USA), Nick Nicholas, Steven White, Ken Ferguson Super Speedway: Martin D Clark (USA) National: Mark Wicks, Sean Henshelwood, Erin McCowatt Photographers: Sutton Motorsport Images, Dirk Klynsmith, Bothwell Photographic, Marshall Cass, Nigel Snowdon & Diana Burnett, AFl Images, Neil Hammond, Slipstream Photographic, Phil Williams, Allsport, John Morris/Mpix, Frank Midgley, Peter Bury, Mike Patrick (UK), Peter French, Chris Carter, James Smith, Paris Charles, Bob Potts Cartoonist: Allan Schofield Motorsport News is published by Australasian Motorsport News - ABN 55 125 120 702 Publisher: C Lambden n Printed by: Offset Alpine Printing Pty Ltd, Lidcombe, NSW. Distributed by; NDD Ltd Material published by MOTORSPORT NEWS is copyright and may not be reproduced in full or in part without the written permission of the publisher. Freelance contributions are welcome, and while all care will be taken, Australasian Motorsport News does not accept responsibility for damage or loss of material submitted.

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82

Heaven and hell Rusty Marsh is right when he says Mitsubishi will have a credibility problem with the Magna in V8 Supercar if they use a Chev or Ford engine (MN#232).

As things are now, the cars are practically hybrids.

Commonality in front wishbones is fine in theory, but unjustified in reality because Holden is doing just fine at the moment.(Er, well, four Holdens operating from the same brains trust are doing well at the moment, but that’s another story altogether).

Fred Gibson also says quite rightly in the same issue that “one day the Ford/Holden thing could wane”.

Judging by the number of letters concerning HRT’s dominance over the years, it seems that day might be closer than we all thought.

Ironically, it was Gibson Motorsport’s domination of Group A with Nissan and the brilliance and efficiency of Mark Skaife which killed those regs, so respectfully, he should know!

I think it is inevitable that another manufacturer will be allowed to join, if only to ‘dumb down’the specs of the cars into total commonality on all fronts to save the series long term.

Using vehicles which don’t really fit the guidelines of the class (rear-drive V8 in actual production) will achieve this.

How long the series lasts in its current form if HRT keeps winning only time will tell. It’s Heaven if you like Holdens, and Hell if you don’t!

Matthew Jones Graceville, QLD

Go Freddy I hope every member of TEGA got to read a copy of Fred Gibson’s interview in your latest issue (MN#232).

He’s not directly involved any more (or will he be Mitsubishi’s grand master?) so he was able to say exactly what he thought.

His solution to prequalifying, or the lack of it now, is so obvious and so obviously the right thing to do - that is if V8 Supercars hasn’t become a ‘protected’ industry that could attract the attention of a certain Prof. Alan Fels.

Gibson is right about the disproportionate number of ‘fathers’ on the Board which runs the show, but as a species, they’re everywhere. Look at the US NASCAR and drags in particular.

You can’t get away from the fact that motor sport is still to some degree a playground for the wealthy - but as Gibson says, you

(

convertor Send us your thoughts: mail; PO Box 7072, Gardenvale, VIC 3186 fax: 03 9596 5030 email: mnews@mnews.com.au

can’t have them running the show either.

Good on you Fred for saying what many are obviously thinking.

Martin O’Loughlan Bundoora, VIC

Post-Canberra Mailbag!

After watching the Canberra event as a bystander, it became clear that the current drive-through penalty needs re-addressing, particularly for minor offences.

The outcome in most races was severely affected due to drivethrough penalties for offences that gave little-to-no on-track performance, and were hardly a safety issue.

Officials need to keep in mind that drivers have a lot going on when on the track, and to be a metre off-line does not warrant a penalty that puts them effectively out of the race.

I accept that there are rules and we need them to maintain a safe and fair race, however I would think a 10 point penalty would be more than adequate, (Skaife could be 100!)

Let’s hope it can be addressed to keep the outcomes more reflective of the teams and drivers performances on the day.

Matthew White Melbourne, VIC MG:Matthew White races in the Konica V8 Supercar Series.

A couple of Canberra 400 observations: 1. Classic example of punishment not fitting the crime. Stop-Go/Drive through penalties are for bad driving, hitting other cars etc. but surely not for crossing a painted line!

Give ’em 10 seconds on their race time - don’t screw their races altogether.

2. Are some painted lines more penalty-sensative than others? Hands up those who also saw Skaife cross the yellow line on the way IN to the pits for his first stop (race 3, Sunday).

What, no Drive-through for errors at that end of pit lane?

3. Marcos Ambrose. Dear Marcos, when a car has just emerged fi-om the pits on cold tyres it is going to brake a bit earlier than normal.

Running into it from behind is stupid. It cost you heaps.

David Spears Ryde, NSW Let’s not discuss why(HRT) driver Skaife v/asn’t penalised for crossing the yellow line going into the pits on Sunday, when others were crucified for doing the same on the way out; but how did (HRT) driver Bright not get a Stop-Go for quite clearly being at fault in taking (non HRT)Richards out during the same race?

Are CAMS Stewards as intimidated by HRT as everyone else seems to be?

Michael D Patterson Gladesville, NSW

Cold tyres, brakes early: A basic principle which, according to reader {Photo by Dirk Klynsmith) David Spears, Marcos Ambrose forgot last weekend ...

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